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Northside & Counting The Center for Urban Research (CUR) at the City University of New York’s Mapping Service is providing important census tract information for multiple agencies working with the U.S. Census Bureau to count every household at censushardtocountmaps2020.us. CUR identifies hard-to-count (HTC) census tracts as having 73% or less of households who self-responded
to the 2010 decennial census. Identifying those households who are HTC determines where census takers will focus on door-knocking to follow up with nonresponsive addresses. Below are the percentages of self-responding households before “nonresponsive followup” (NRFU), after, and in comparison to 2010 response rates.
Allegheny West Tract 5627 59.9% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.3% Since NRFU Began 60.2% Cumulative as of 8/18 39.7% 2010 final self-response
North Shore Tract 5632.01 64.9% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.0% Since NRFU Began 64.9% Cumulative as of 8/18 58.9% 2010 final self-response
Brighton Heights Tract 2701 67.3% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.0% Since NRFU Began 67.3% Cumulative as of 8/18 70.3% 2010 final self-response
Northview Heights & Summer Hill Tract 2613 59.4% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.6% Since NRFU Began 60.0% Cumulative as of 8/18 56.5% 2010 final self-response
Tract 2703 61.3% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.2% Since NRFU Began 61.5% Cumulative as of 8/18 65.5% 2010 final self-response
Observatory Hill Tract 2607 60% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.0% Since NRFU Began 60.0% Cumulative as of 8/18 69.0% 2010 final self-response
Tract 2708 75.9% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.2% Since NRFU Began 76.1% Cumulative as of 8/18 77.5% 2010 final self-response Fineview Tract 2509 43.8% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.0% Since NRFU Began 43.8% Cumulative as of 8/18 54.3% 2010 final self-response Historic Deutschtown & East Deutschtown Tract 5632.02 45.6% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.3% Since NRFU Began 45.9% Cumulative as of 8/18 56.4% 2010 final self-response Manchester & California-Kirkbride Tract 5652 50% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.2% Since NRFU Began 50.2% Cumulative as of 8/18 54.8% 2010 final self-response Marshall-Shadeland Tract 2716 50.4% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.2% Since NRFU Began 50.6% Cumulative as of 8/18 63.6% 2010 final self-response Central Northside Tract 5651 57.1% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.2% Since NRFU Began 57.3% Cumulative as of 8/18 60.4% 2010 final self-response
Tract 2602 57.8% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.2% Since NRFU Began 58.0% Cumulative as of 8/18 69.0% 2010 final self-response
Above left to right: Map key indicating the corresponding colors to percentage brackets of households who have self-responded to the 2020 decennial census. A map of the Northside neighborhoods, organized by tracts, shows current percentages of self-responding households as of Aug. 18. which is further broken down in the corresponding tract data by neighborhood, opposite left. Left: Map showing the bottom 20% self-response rates nationwide. Northside tracts in the bottom 20% include 5632.02, 2509, 2614, 2615, 2716, and 5652. This means that a greater share of non-responding homes will be visited by census takers - a challenging task now that the Census Bureau has shortened the door-knocking deadline by 4 weeks.
Perry Hilltop Tract 2615 48.7% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.5% Since NRFU Began 49.2% Cumulative as of 8/18 57.2% 2010 final self-response Tract 2614 42.2% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.4% Since NRFU Began 42.6% Cumulative as of 8/18 52.9% 2010 final self-response Spring Hill Tract 2620 55.3% When NRFU Began (8/09) 0.7% Since NRFU Began 56.0% Cumulative as of 8/18 67.7% 2010 final self-response
Right: Map key and corresponding map highlighting the comparison of 2010 and 2020 self-response rate shows four neighborhoods have responded above the rate Troy Hill & Spring Garden of 2010, they include Tract 2413 Northview Heights, 53.6% When NRFU Began (8/09) Summer Hill, Allegheny 0.3% Since NRFU Began West, and North Shore. 53.9% Cumulative as of 8/18 63.7% 2010 final self-response Central Northside, Machester and CaliforStatistics and maps courtesy of censu- nia-Kirkbride are close shardtocountmaps2020.us to responding above the rate of 2010 this year, while Perry Hilltop, Troy Hill, Spring Hill and parts of Observatory Hill will likely see census takers knocking on households. Neighborhoods in the red will very likely see census takers this month.
Northside households are urged to fill out the form online at 2020census.gov or by phone at 844330-2020 for English and Spanish speaking customer service representatives every day from 7am to 2am Eastern Time. Several more languages are available through the website and by phone Monday through Friday 8am to 10pm, plus American Sign Language, Braille and large print are available. Visit the website for direct lines to non-English and non-Spanish language customer service representatives.
Changing nation, changing census
Over the last century, the census has adapted to changes in technology. This year, it’s being shaped by a global pandemic. By Katia Faroun A version of this article first appeared in the August 2020 edition of The Northside Chronicle. 2020 marks the start of a new decade, and with it, the government is conducting its largest operation during peacetime: the decennial census. Every 10 years, a survey is sent out to the close to 120 million households in the U.S. to gather key statistical information about those residing in the country. The decennial census, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, consists of a questionnaire asking generally about the number of people living in a household, who they are, and what their race is. The nation has changed throughout the decades; so has the census, and its purpose.
The birth of the census dates back to the formation of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution declares that representatives and taxes will be divided among the states “according to their respective Numbers,” implying the necessity for statewide population counts. Right after the Civil War ended, this phrasing was reaffirmed in Section 2 of the 14th Amendment where it notes that state populations are to count “the whole number of persons in each State.” The article requires the enumeration to take place every 10 years, a rule that has been upheld consistently since then. The first ever census took place in 1790, where responsibility fell upon “marshals of the U.S. judicial districts” to visit every household in their appointed district and submit their counts directly to the president. The first census inquiries called for the name of the head of the household and all free individuals and slaves of the household; it took 18 months to complete. Over the next century, the census expanded from simple population counts to include information on hundreds of topics including demographics, agriculture, and the economy. Responsibility shifted to specifically trained census supervisors and the first statistical atlases were published, documenting data retrieved from the census questionnaires. The U.S. Census Bureau became a permanent agency within the government at the start of the 20th Century. The Constitution only specifically mandated a population count as part of the census. It was necessary, though, according to Susan Licate, media specialist at the Philadelphia Regional Census Center, for the purpose of the census itself to expand over time. “Since the first census in 1790, the need for useful infor-
mation about the United States population and the economy became evident,” Licate explains. For the past 100 years, the census has adapted to new technologies and economic and societal shifts. It has documented changes in national culture, such as the rising Hispanic population and the growing reports of same-sex households, in methods ranging from tallying to statistical sampling to online questionnaires. The census has evolved from its original intentions of taxing or drafting men into military service to collecting necessary statistical information about the country’s residents. “The reason why we conduct a census is because census data is what helps lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and others provide daily services, products, and support for a community,” Licate says. Census data has become fundamental in the allocation of resources not only across the nation, but also throughout communities in American cities. Governmental aid programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, rely on census data when delegating financial resources to areas in need. Specifically, this grant refers to census data to target low-income neighborhoods in need of urban community development, in the form of affordable housing and the expansion of economic opportunities.
In 2015, over $675 billion was distributed to 132 programs across the nation, according to the data received by the census. This type of funding shapes communities by flowing into areas such as infrastructure, emergency services, and housing, and according to Licate, it’s an essential responsibility of Americans. “Everybody who’s living or staying in the United States has the right to be counted,” she says. “It is our right. Federal funding every year for the next 10 years is determined by this decennial census, and folks have the opportunity to shape their future, ensuring that their household participates in the census.” This year, Pittsburgh had received a total of $13.5 million in CDBG funding before April, when the city received nearly $8.4 million more as part of the first COVID-19 relief package. Organizations including the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, and Casa San Jose received thousands of dollars in funding, while larger checks were set aside to help small businesses, improve homeless shelters, and aid both renters and those paying off mortgages who were affected by the pandemic. The majority of Northside neighborhoods meet the pop-
ulation and median income requirements for CDBG funding. Multiple Northside organizations received CDBG funding in 2019, including the Pittsburgh Project, which received $5,500 to provide free home repairs to vulnerable, low-income homeowners, and the Northside Youth Athletic Association, which used its $12,500 to supply income-eligible youth with football gear. According to Licate, the most notable change in the 2020 census is language accessibility. For the first time, the census is available in 13 different languages online and by phone, and includes guidance for 59 non-English languages, TTY, and Braille. Measures taken in response to the COVID-19 outbreak include the introduction of Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) sites: outdoor setups at locations where locals purchase essential goods, such as gas stations. Census takers guide people as they complete the census on their own devices. The option of filling out the census online or by phone also eliminates in-person contact between census takers and respondents. Even though Census Day took place on April 1, an added extension due to the COVID-19 outbreak allows households to complete the census online, by phone, or by mail until Sept. 30, 2020*. After that, responses are final, and the Census Bureau begins the process of delivering the final counts to the White House. At the time of printing, Pennsylvania’s participation rate currently stands at 65.6%, with Allegheny County ahead of that rate at 68.3%; however, certain neighborhoods in the county are falling behind on participation, and the Census Bureau needs these people to “step up and exercise their right to be counted,” according to Licate. “It’s conducted every 10 years, and that’s why it’s so important that folks understand that the time is now. We don’t get a redo next year,” Licate says. For those who have not received a questionnaire by mail, the 2020 census can be accessed online at 2020census.gov or by phone, in English, at 844-330-2020: A complete list of non-English languages available for census respondents via phone can also be found at 2020census.gov. n
*Editor’s note 8/10/2020: The original deadline published in the August newspaper was Oct. 31, 2020. On Aug. 3, 2020 the United States Census Bureau announced they were amending the deadline up to Sept. 30, 2020.
Programs Influenced by U.S. Census Bureau Data
The 2020 Census can help shape the future of your community. Your responses inform how the following programs are funded every year. The programs listed below are examples from the “Uses of Census Bureau Data in Federal Funds Distribution�* report, which provides estimates of the federal funds distributed each year in whole or in part using 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data.
Community Support Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment Programs
Family Services Child Abuse and Neglect State Grants
Education Head Start
Food Assistance Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Employment Unemployment Insurance
Healthcare Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid)
Entrepreneurship Small Business Development Centers
Infrastructure Highway Planning and Construction
Environment State Wildlife Grants
Public Safety Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Connect with us: @uscensusbureau For more information:
2020CENSUS.GOV *https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/2017/decennial/census-data-federal-funds.html