You just got a census form in the mail. Here’s why SLO County needs you to fill it out

Every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau counts people who live in the country — and in the case of emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic, it could mean the difference between having the resources or not.

“While in the grand scheme of things, this may not seem like a high priority for many, it is vitally important that all SLO County residents be counted,” San Luis Obispo County emergency services director Wade Horton said Wednesday at a news briefing. “The crisis we’re facing today is a powerful reminder of why the census matters.”

April 1 is Census Day.

According to the bureau, that’s not a hard deadline, but a marker. When a person responds to the census, he or she should respond with where they live as of April 1, 2020.

Horton said participation in the census will help San Luis Obispo County get the resources needed to respond to future emergencies because census data dictates the resources provided to local communities.

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding is provided to counties for the next 10 years, Horton said. The data helps determine the distribution of public funds, including money for healthcare providers and enforcement agencies, and the planning for public services such as schools and hospitals.

The census also determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

By March 31, 2021, the Census Bureau will send redistricting counts to the state to redraw legislative districts based on population change, according to the bureau’s website.

“The team and resources we’re deploying today to protect our community in this crisis are directly shaped by the census participation 10 years ago,” Horton said.

In 2010, the Census Bureau reported that San Luis Obispo County had 269,637 residents. The 2020 census will provide the county and the federal government with a better idea of what the county currently looks like and the resources it needs.

2020 marks the first year the bureau has accepted responses online. Horton said every household in San Luis Obispo County should have received a flier in the mail about how to fill out the census.

The census may also be completed via phone or mail. The census only needs to be completed once per household. Each person in the house or unit should be counted.

The Census Bureau attempts to count everyone.

The agency will send employees to survey households that don’t respond to the census. Because of coronavirus, however, the field operations will be delayed until April 15, according to a news release.

At the end of April, the Census Bureau will count people who are experiencing homelessness if they have not already completed the survey.

The information is confidential and cannot be shared with immigration or law enforcement agencies, according to the bureau.

To complete the census online, go to my2020census.gov.