In partnership with local governments and non-profits, COG has helped coordinate efforts to ensure an accurate and complete 2020 Census count in the metropolitan Washington region. COG has worked with WMATA and other regional employers to spread awareness on the importance of the 2020 Census through PSA ads, workplace initiatives, as well as a regional forum focused on interventions in hard-to-reach communities. All households are urged to complete the census by April 1. Residents can respond online, over the phone, or by mail.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) hosted a virtual conversation on Facebook Live on March 5 with a panel of local elected officials, community representatives, and the United States Census Bureau to help answer questions from residents about the 2020 Census.

The panel featured COG Board of Directors Chair and Prince George’s County Council Member Derrick L. Davis, COG Board Vice Chair and Arlington County Board Member Christian Dorsey, Fernando Armstrong from the U.S. Census Bureau, Saif Rahman from the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Fairfax County, and Walda Yon from the Latino Economic Development Center in D.C.

The panel discussed how to take the census, and the importance of being counted in the 2020 Census, which will inform how over $24 billion in public funding gets distributed annually to local communities in the region.

“It’s incredibly important when we think about the investments that we make in our communities – where we’re going to build schools, provide transit, what services we’re going to provide for our seniors – those decisions have to be based on what our communities actually look like and what they need, and the census is the gold standard,” said Dorsey.

“When you have people who are not counted, you end up with a significant loss of resources that would’ve come from the federal government,” said Davis. “It’s estimated that we lost about a billion dollars in the state of Maryland over the last 10 years because of a significant undercount of about 53,000 residents.”

Panelists also addressed privacy concerns from residents and discussed regional initiatives to overcome barriers that may discourage or prevent people from responding to the 2020 Census. From weekly Spanish radio shows about the census to disseminating informational materials to mosques, nonprofit organizations like the Latino Economic Development Center and the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center are working with communities of color, immigrant families, and faith-based communities to ensure a fair and accurate count for everyone in the region.

“Whether you live in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia, there’s one thing we can all agree on – taking the 2020 Census is a win-win for the region,” said COG Executive Director Chuck Bean. “I count. You count. Grandparents count, newborns count, and everyone you’ve seen today counts.”

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Visit www.2020Census.gov for additional resources.

Follow and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #CountDMVIn.