Get ready because city leaders in Los Angeles are going to practice counting. The city plans to spend at least three million dollars to help people register for the 2020 census. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez says immigrant and low-income communities are usually under-counted.
"We are launching a grassroots and comprehensive outreach effort with the resources that we have available to ensure that everybody is counted in this 2020 census," Rodriguez said.
The under-counting cost the city big bucks during the last census almost a decade ago and a lot of federal money is on the line.
The councilwoman added that communities of color, and those in lower socioeconomic conditions tend to not participate in census counts.
"What's really important is for us to assure that we don't continue to make communities of color feel that they are under duress, but more importantly so that they are empowered to participate so that we can get the resources that we deserve."
The next census will also need to track down tens of thousands of homeless people.
A legal battle whether a citizenship question will be allowed on the census makes even things more difficult. Each person counted in the state adds up to about 19 hundred dollars in federal funding. A possible citizenship question on the Census is still being worked out in the courts.