'Embarrassingly Low': Garcetti Says Less Than Half Of LA Households Have Filled Out Census Form
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Thursday that less than half of Los Angeles households have responded to the census.
"We can't stop thinking about the investments we need to support the education of our students or the food security of our families, the safety of our neighborhoods and the health of our communities over the long run," Garcetti said.
Across the nation, the mayor said 49.4% of households have already responded.
In the state of California, the response rate is slightly above 50%, while 55% of households in San Diego have responded and 48% in San Francisco.
In Los Angeles, 40% of households have submitted responses to the census.
"We have an embarrassingly low percentage here in Los Angeles compared to the nation," Garcetti said.
The results of the census not only determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives and how congressional and legislative districts are drawn, it also informs the federal government on how much funding is needed for programs such as Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
"In emergencies like this, those dollars that we get to save the lives and the livelihoods of people depend on how many people they say are here," Garcetti said. "And so whether it's somebody who's unhoused or an immigrant, and I remind people, it does not matter your status as an immigrant, you should and must be counted in the census."
The census can be filled out online, by mail or by calling 844-330-2020.
"Simply put, there's no excuse to skip the census," Garcetti said. "Don't give that money away to another part of the country. Make sure you get the thousands of dollars that you deserve by filling that out."
