Community leaders and city officials in Detroit gathered Monday to launch what's being called the Be Counted Detroit: Census 2020 campaign.
The effort aims to encourage Detroiters to participate in next year's census count.
Detroit's census numbers determine home much federal funding the city will receive for things like food assistance, head start, and road repairs.
According to a press release, Detroit will lose around $1,800 a year in federal funding over the next decade for every person that isn't counted.
The campaign also plans to launch its own hiring effort to employ Detroiters as census ambassadors, canvassers, and outreach leaders.
The 2020 census will be the first census to rely heavily on online responses. The city plans to establish more than 100 locations across Detroit where people can go to get help or access computers to fill out their census form online.
Census forms will still be available by paper and can also be completed by phone.
“There is nothing more important than ensuring that every Detroiter stand up and be counted during the census,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said during a press conference.
