Dear Friend --

I know we are experiencing an enormous health crisis, but I want to ask you to focus on another important issue today - The 2020 Census.

I want to encourage everyone to complete the census for your household if you haven’t already.

You can do that at www.my2020census.gov.

It’s crucial everyone is counted. The amount of federal health assistance we receive, funding for our schools, and our Congressional representation, all depend on getting an accurate count. When people aren’t counted, we lose resources we need.

The Coronavirus outbreak has definitely made our work more challenging, but it has also made it all the more important. With the challenges we face, it’s doubly important every Long Beach resident is counted in the census.

The census is a requirement of the United States Constitution and the personal information gathered is never shared. It’s absolutely safe to be honest about the number of people in your household, your immigration status, and other information about you and your family.

It has never been easier to complete the census form: you can fill out the 2020 Census online, over the phone, or by mail. In May, census takers will begin outreach to households that haven’t completed the census yet.

The last few weeks have been a profound reminder of just how critical funding is to support hospitals, schools, public transportation, affordable housing and small businesses. That funding relies on accurate census counts.

Please make sure to take the census for the future of Long Beach.