DEPARTMENT: Government & Public Affairs
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Jeff Coyle
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Briefing on the 2020 Census and Complete Count Committee activities in response to COVID-19.
SUMMARY:
Government and Public Affairs will provide an update on the San Antonio/Bexar County Complete Count Committee and local efforts underway for the 2020 Census in response to the COVID-19 emergency and the related delays by the federal government.
BACKGROUND:
In the summer of 2018 the City of San Antonio convened stakeholders representing multiple community organizations to develop the framework of a strategic work plan which would guide San Antonio's efforts for a complete count during the 2020 Census. A critical strategy central to achieving a complete count was to form a Complete Count Committee (Committee) which the City and County launched in April 2019.
The Committee, under the leadership of Co-Chairs Celina Pena and Rebecca Cedillo, formed 6 Subcommittees and identified 12 Target Populations at risk of being undercounted in the 2020 Census. During the summer of 2019, the Subcommittees identified strategies to mitigate barriers to participation among the Target Populations and developed the 2020 Census Strategic plan. The Strategic Plan focused on high-touch grass roots outreach efforts that included the involvement of nearly 60 community based organizations. The plan also included paid media/marketing strategies that would support the high-touch outreach efforts by creating top of mind awareness, multiple touch point opportunities and a call to action to participate in the census.
In October of 2019, GPA provided a briefing to City Council on how the City would invest nearly $400,000 to support the Committee's advertising/marketing and high-touch grass roots outreach efforts.
In early 2020 the Committee continued to lay out the strategic frame work for getting a complete count by solidifying community partner relationships, producing...
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