Allan Appel Photo
All the census tracts marked in red (which are most of them) have insufficient local census takers signed up.
Unless more neighborhood people apply for 2020 federal census-taker jobs, the city runs the risk of having outsiders come in for whom fewer doors will be opened.
That could lead to a lower count and less federal government money for the next decade.
David Kania, the lead field manager for the 2020 Census count in New Haven and Middlesex counties, came to New Haven to offer that warning.
Kania: “We’re in a crisis. We need people.”
He and local census organizer Sally Brown were on hand Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Hill South Community Management Team to provide an update and to recruit sorely needed local census-takers.
New Haven officials have for months been working to pump up involvement in the upcoming once-a-decade federal census.
New Haven has 14 census tracts to cover, roughly between March and July, after census questionnaire will have been sent out.
That means having staff to send out on foot to knock on the doors of the households that do not return the census forms. As the return rate is roughly 30 percent, that’s a lot of door knocking.
“We need 2,874” census takers to be hired in the city itself, said Kania.
To date only 974 of that total have been hired, which is “really low,” he said. Kania did not have information how the hire rate this year compares to that of 10 years ago.
Some of New Haven’s 14 census tracks are well covered, he said. But in Fair Haven, Newhallville, the Hill, and Dwight, the hiring news is the worst. “There are lots of available jobs in these neighborhoods. We’ll probably need hundreds hired in each neighborhood,” he added.
“It’s really serious,” he told the management team. The jobs pay $25.50 an hour, he noted. “These are good jobs. I know there are good people out there. We just have to find them.”
“If we’re forced to bring someone from the outside, what happens is that residents won’t recognize a person from the neighborhood, and not let them in, and New Haven will not get funds,” Kania added.
Kania said recruiting has been taking place in town since the summer, with regular appointments at the libraries and at jobs centers. His team has recently met with city clergy, who are organizing an event. Because time is short, Kania and his staff have spoken with the Board of Alders Black and Hispanic Caucus, and other groups to arrange recruiting events.
At every recruiting event, his team shows up with computers and they help interested people apply online on the spot.
Hill South CMT Treasurer Jose DeJesus and LCI staffer Artie Natalino, Jr., at the meeting.
There is some technology involved, using a smart phone or tablet to process the data collected. That has dissuaded a number of “great older people” who had been in the hiring process, Kania said. However, the 974 hired thus far cover the whole age range, beginning at age 18. You also need to undergo a criminal background check, including being fingerprinted.
“What about former felons?” another neighbor asked. Might they be hired?
“It’s on a case by case basis,” Kania replied.
But “we’re in a crisis. If your neighbor is in a red area [on the census map], that means we need people.”
The whole job would add up to about ten to 12 weeks of work, from 20 to 30 hours a week, catching up with the people who do not respond online or through the mail.
“I’d hate to have these jobs go to outsiders. If they do, doors won’t be opened,” Kania said
His team is organizing recruiting “blitzes” to roll out in the second half of this month at Yale, the University of New Haven, and the other area colleges.
To boost the effort, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz will headline a recruiting event at City Hall on Jan. 22.
Anyone who wants to organize an event can call Kania directly at 203 – 535-8603.
Also, a Complete Count Committee meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Ives Library.
https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.html