This Spring has proven to be a challenging time for our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us, but it has also highlighted the North Country’s exceptional public health officials, healthcare workers, first responders, law enforcement personnel, and community leaders as our community has risen to meet the unique needs of our region.
Amidst this crisis, it is critical to highlight the role that the 2020 Census plays in funding our hospitals, emergency services including police forces and fire stations, schools, roads, and more. I am writing to personally urge all my constituents to fill out the Census.
The 2020 Census will distribute federal resources to our businesses, community leaders, and elected officials to help them make informed decisions on how to serve you. This funding is especially important for communities who rely on USDA Rural Development funding to support local businesses and expand broadband access, EPA funding to protect the natural waterways of the Adirondacks, HUD assistance for homeless programs, and funding for telehealth and distance learning services, which are all so important to communities in our region.
Now more than ever, it is critical that the North Country is accurately counted. As we recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 crisis, we must consider the substantial needs our region is counting on. An accurate and complete census count is the first step in making sure the North Country receives funding to make critical decisions. Given the current public health crisis, it is recommended that citizens respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail.
In mid-April, the Census Bureau began mailing the paper questionnaire to homes that have not yet responded online or by phone. If you receive mail through a P.O. Box, a Census Bureau worker may deliver a questionnaire, leave information about responding, or interview you.
You can complete the census online at my2020census.gov. You can also call the Census Bureau at (844)-330-2020. The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to keep all of your reported information confidential.
If you have any questions or need more information about how to complete your 2020 Census, please visit my website at Stefanik.house.gov, or reach out to any one of my offices. I will continue to advocate for the North Country to receive critical funding and resources at the federal level, and I encourage all my constituents to complete the 2020 Census to ensure all are accurately counted.
- Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
