In response to the “Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions,” Leah Hendey presents evidence based on the experience her research on the Greater DC region at the Urban Institute opposing the proposed changes, noting the importance of an accurate decennial census count.

Failing to count all people in the neighborhoods they reside and removing the race and ethnicity questions from the 2030 Census would undermine our understanding of the demographic characteristics of our communities and how they have changed overtime. These data are used to assess how local policies and programs affect residents.

The Census Bureau’s Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis of the proposed changes notes that the sampling weights for the American Community Survey (ACS) will be affected and expect that the reliability of the survey estimates will decrease. The ACS has been a critical tool to help the greater DC region understand its current and future housing needs. A reliable ACS is essential for local jurisdictions to understand who needs affordable housing, how much is needed, and where it should be built.