If you haven’t filled out your census yet, please do so! It’s easy, important, and takes less than 10 minutes to answer the nine questions asked. As of August 2, 2020, 72.4% of Goleta households have filled out their census. That means we still need 27.6% of households to complete their census and only have until September 30 to make sure EVERYONE counts. You can complete the census online at https://my2020census.gov/ or by calling 844-330-2020. For those who don’t respond, Census workers will begin going door to door next week.
We are so appreciative of everyone who participated in, and came out to watch, our Make Goleta Count Census Caravan on Saturday, July 11. We were fortunate to have many of our local leaders take time out on their weekend to drive throughout Goleta honking, waving, and spreading the word about the importance of filling out your census. Our featured participants included the Mayor and City Council members, Congressman Salud Carbajal, Assemblymember Monique Limón, Supervisors Gregg Hart and Joan Hartman, several key leaders on the Santa Barbara County Complete Count Committee, and the Santa Barbara Promotores Network!
Please watch our fun Census Caravan video here.
When filling out your census, please remember to count everyone in your household even if they are not family members. Also, don’t forget to count children even if they are babies. It’s estimated that one in 10 children under age five were missed in the last census. That is more than two million uncounted children. Also, it’s important to know that the 2020 Census is confidential and your personal information, by law, can’t be shared.
Emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic are precisely why the government needs accurate 2020 Census Data. Your response to the census shapes decisions about how billions of dollars in federal funds flow into communities each year for the next ten years. The following items are at stake for Goleta if there is an undercount in the 2020 Census:
- Loss of revenue for TEN years
- Federal funding for Community Development Block Grants
- Library funding
- Gas tax related revenue for road repairs
- Special funding based on population
- District election boundaries
Learn more about the 2020 Census on the City’s census webpage and on Santa Barbara County’s census website. Information in Spanish is also available on the City website and Santa Barbara County website. The City of Goleta is proud to be a part of the Complete Count Committee which is working together to make sure EVERYONE counts in Santa Barbara County.
Make Goleta Count Census 2020 Caravan cruising through Goleta
Congressman Salud Carbajal at the end of the Census Caravan
City staff member Sandra Rodriguez waving our Make Goleta Count car flags