What is at Stake for Census 2020?
An accurate 2020 Census is required to ensure that each Hawaiʻi community receives its fair share of federal funds to support the planning of various needs and initiatives including new roads, schools, and emergency services. Also used by private businesses for market research, the census data will affect decisions on whether or not new businesses will open in Hawaiʻi.
The stakes are high for Hawaiʻi. Every one percent of the population that’s undercounted in Hawaiʻi means a loss of $37 million a year in federal funding. This means a loss of $370 million over 10 years for every one percent of the Hawaiʻi population that’s not counted.
Get Our Fair Share
As the 2020 Census approaches, make sure Hawai’i is counted for …
Education
Census data will affect how much money Hawaiʻi will receive for federal direct student loans, Title I Grants, and Special Education Grants, as well as from the federal Pell Grant program.
Family Care
Census data will affect how much money Hawaiʻi will receive for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which provides families with crucial financial assistance and related support services like child care assistance, job preparation and work assistance.
Health Care
Census data will affect how much money Hawaiʻi will receive for Medicaid, Medicare Supplemental Medical Insurance (Part B) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), among other programs.
Roadways
Census data will affect how much money Hawaiʻi will receive for highway planning and construction.
Food Assistance Programs
Census data will affect how much money Hawaiʻi will receive from food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps families in need purchase healthy food and move toward self-sufficiency. It will also affect how much money Hawaiʻi will receive from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or free lunches to children each school day.
Housing
Census data will affect how much money Hawaiʻi will receive for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled with safe and sanitary housing in the private market. It will also affect how much money Hawaiʻi will receive for Very Low to Moderate Income Housing Loans.