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Advocates urge early, sustained funding and local partnerships to reach hard‑to‑count communities for 2030 Census
Summary
Nonprofit leaders, immigrant‑serving groups and municipal officials told the Senate Committee on the Census on Oct. 31 that Massachusetts must begin year‑round outreach, dedicate multi‑year funding, and make grants available earlier than in 2020 to avoid repeating undercounts in gateway cities and immigrant communities.
Grassroots and municipal leaders told a Senate hearing Oct. 31 that the state must begin sustained outreach and grantmaking now to avoid a repeat of the 2020 census undercounts.
"Nonprofit grassroots organizations are trusted messengers," said Shanique Rodriguez, executive director of the Massachusetts Voter Table, who described the organizations’ ability to reach hard‑to‑count residents and to deliver culturally appropriate, language‑specific assistance. Rodriguez and other witnesses said late‑arriving funds and a compressed timeline in 2020 limited their ability to hire paid canvassers, conduct door‑to‑door follow‑up and scale outreach across gateway cities.
Why it matters: Census results determine federal funding, state and local planning and…
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