Win prizes, help your city by entering Palmdale’s census contest

PALMDALE – The city of Palmdale is hosting a 2020 Census Palmdale Counts Challenge Contest where participants can enter their Census confirmation number for the chance to win up to $1,000 in prizes.

Drawings for prizes will be conducted live on social media, with the first drawing taking place on Monday, July 20. The final drawing will take place on Monday, August 24. The drawings will consist of four winners per week, with one winner per City Council district. On week six, all entries from each district will be combined and one winner will be selected for the final prize of $1,000. The prizes will consist of gift cards from local grocery stores.

To participate, Palmdale households need to complete their Census form and enter their Census confirmation number by completing the Palmdale Counts Challenge form. For complete details and to enter, visit www.cityofpalmdale.org/PalmdaleCountsChallenge.

“The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding will flow into our community every year for the next decade,” said Palmdale Mayor Steve Hofbauer. “This is funding that is used for critical transportation services in our community, including maintenance and construction of our roads, and improvement of infrastructure and utilities. Our contest is simply a fun way to get the word out on how important it is to be counted and it gives residents a chance to win prizes. It’s a win-win situation!”

“Funding levels and distribution for a broad range of state programs and services such as CalFresh, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, nutrition programs, housing assistance, highways, education, and other state priorities ae determined by Census data,” said Mayor Pro Tem Richard Loa.

“An accurate Census count is vital in protecting programs such as South Antelope Valley Emergency Services,” said Councilmember Laura Bettencourt. “SAVES provides much needed food, clothing and utility assistance year-round as well as seasonal back to school supplies, holiday food baskets.”

The federal funding through the Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant program is calculated annually using census data with a formula that takes into account a city’s total population, the number of people in poverty, and the number of housing units with more than one person per room.

Residents may fill out a Census form online at my2020census.gov, by phone in English at 844-330-2020 or in Spanish at 844-468-2020, or by mail by sending back the questionnaire mailed out to household to: U.S. Census Bureau, National Processing Center, 100 Logistics Avenue, Jeffersonville, IN 47144.

“Our school lunch programs are among the many reasons it is so important to respond to the 2020 Census and report all children, including newborns, living in your home,” said Councilmember Juan Carrillo. “Knowing how many children are in an area helps federal, state and local officials evaluate funding for nutrition programs. Some qualifying students also have access to meals during summer months when school is out.”

Mandated by the Constitution, every 10 years America comes together to count every resident in the United States. The Census tallies the nation’s population and households, providing the basis for reapportioning congressional seats, redistricting, and distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to support vital programs for states, counties and communities — impacting housing, education, transportation, employment, health care and public policy.

“Census results also affect planning and funding for employment and training, including programs for vocational rehabilitation state grants, and dislocated workers,” said Councilmember Austin Bishop.

To date, approximately 57.1 percent of Palmdale residents have completed their Census form.

“I’m proud how our staff researched what the communities across the country who were getting the highest response rates were doing,” said City Manager J.J. Murphy. “They found out that each of the top 10 had some kind of raffle, so we’re joining the movement.”

“We need every single one of our residents counted,” Murphy added. “We need the most accurate count possible because the things we value such as parks and libraries are directly affected by the Census through population-based federal funding. Working to ensure a complete count is fundamentally an issue of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and improves the quality of life for all residents.”

For more information, call Nardy Lopez at 661-267-5177 or email nlopez@cityofpalmdale.org.

[Information via news release from the city of Palmdale.]

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