Written by Cass Christopher, Colorado Community Health Network

As of September 15, only 91.9% of Colorado households were counted in the 2020 Census, leaving a significant portion of Coloradans undercounted. A complete and accurate count is critical for you and your community, as the results of the 2020 Census will affect state and local funding as well as congressional representation in your community.

Information reported through the 2020 Census will inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds are spent every year for the next 10 years for critical programs including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHP+ in Colorado), and public services like schools, libraries, emergency response, and transportation.

The 2020 Census count has faced many challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic and in August, the Trump Administration announced that data collection would end a month earlier than planned, on September 30 instead of October 31. With a shortened timeline, Census officials are worried that there could be a severe undercount in hard to reach populations including people of color, immigrants, and low-income families. That will mean less public money for essential services in their communities, and less representation by elected officials at the state and federal levels.

Responding to the Census has never been easier. For the first time ever, you can respond online in under ten minutes. The Census Bureau strongly encourages households that have not yet responded to complete their questionnaire by September 30 online at my2020census.gov or by phone in English or 12 other languages.

Tell everyone – your friends and family, neighbors, clients, and coworkers – that the Census matters and that they should complete theirs by September 30.