Solano headcount only at 73 percent and may miss the homeless
Some local activists say the U. S. Census Bureau lacks the staff, resources and time necessary for an accurate count of the homeless.
As a result, the task falls to the sober living environments, transitional homes, board- and- care faciltiies, shelters, homeless service providers and communit y members, said K. Patrice Williams, a Solano County businesswoman and CEO of BrandGOV Outreach, a public affairs and community outreach firm that connects government agencies and the people they serve.
In a press release, she added that Solano County remains at risk of a severe undercount in the 2020 census, the national tally of every person living in the United States as of April 1, “especially those who are unsheltered, having a greater chance of being missed if they are not counted by the Census deadline” by month’s end.
The census numbers determines the portion Solano County will get from an estimated $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works, public safety and more. Additionally, businesses use census data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores, creating jobs, and the numbers also determine a state’s apportionment, or the number of representatives, in the House of Representatives.
The county’s self- response rate stands at 73.1 percent, increasing the urgency of accurate census data, Williams, founder of Hello Empower, which provides education, resources and partnerships to Solano communities, noted in the prepared statement.
The ongoing pandemic has “complicated the fight against the homeless in Solano County,” requiring additional services and resources. Organizations working with the homeless worry that Solano County will more than likely see an increase in homeless numbers once the state’s eviction moratorium lifts on Feb. 1, Williams wrote.
Enumerators, or census-takers, are knocking on the doors of those who have not responded to the census by the Sept. 30 deadline.
Yet, in the absence of enough enumerators, those in the community who wish to join in the fight to help the homeless living in Solano County can email the Solano Census Hotline at hello@empowersolano.com with any questions. They may also call 560-1115 until Sept 30.
Hello Empower has census T- shirts, masks, hand sanitizers and gloves available for anyone who needs them while helping to count the homeless, Williams said.