Aging Ahead wants to make sure that Missouri’s older adults are accurately counted in the upcoming 2020 Census.
As the official count of the country’s population, the U.S. census is completed every ten years to track demographic changes over time. This important information is used to determine not only the number of congressional representatives each state gets, but also what portion they receive of federal funding they receive. This money makes up a large portion of state budgets and goes to programs for underserved communities, including older adults. Some of those programs include Medicaid, Medicare Part B, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.
However, several challenges could prevent an accurate 2020 Census count. The Missouri Foundation for Health reports that budget cuts have left the Census Bureau with funding “far lower than recommended for a successful count.” Additionally, for the first time, the Census Bureau is planning for most census responses to be returned online via the internet. But many rural and low-income communities lack access to broadband internet, which could affect response rates. In fact, in Missouri, nearly one in five households have either no internet or broadband access.
These barriers could exacerbate challenges in reaching communities that are already harder to count, such as individuals who are low-income, renters, and people of color. During the last census, nine percent of Missourians lived in these hard-to-count communities.
The consequences of an inaccurate count are real. In the last 2010 Census count, Missouri lost a congressional seat and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. The Missouri Foundation for Health reports that for every person not counted in the official census, Missouri loses an estimated $1,272 in federal money. An inaccurate count could significantly impact programs important to the state’s growing senior population.
Even though the next Census count doesn’t start until April 1, 2020, it’s not too early to start learning more about how to make sure Missouri’s older adults are accurately counted. Aging Ahead will be sharing more information in the coming months about how we can ensure all seniors are counted in 2020 Census.
Missouri Foundation for Health, 2019 https://mffh.org/our-focus/census-2020/