Census participation is urged

By BEVERLY SANFORD
Reporter Contributor

Without a strong response to the decennial census, both New York State and the Buffalo-Niagara region stand to lose federal funds and potentially Congressional representation, the director of the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth warns.

John B. Sheffer, II cites concern over potential census undercounts as the impetus behind a statewide initiative-"Census 2000 Complete Count"-to encourage census participation.

"The institute is among a group of organizations-local, state and federal-encouraging businesses and community organizations to help get word out about the importance of the census," Sheffer says. "Projections show that with an undercount as small as 50,000 people, New York State could lose another seat in Congress.

"Census data also drive much federal funding for transportation projects, workforce training, transitional employment, community economic development, programs for the disadvantaged and a range of other programs. The federal government allocates such funds based on a census-driven understanding of the region's population. So if we have an undercount, we stand to lose some share of essential support," Sheffer adds.

The statewide initiative, spearheaded by the Empire State Development Corp., is being conducted by the New York State Association of Regional Councils. The group has contracted with the UB institute to help facilitate Census Complete Count efforts in the Buffalo-Niagara region.

"The Complete Count program covers a range of issues," Sheffer notes. "In some cases, the census needs local assistance in identifying places where the population may be hard to count, such as shelters. In other cases, community groups can help open doors to census workers."