Statement in Support of City’s Census Count Questions Resolution Challenge

Yesterday, Mayor Johnson formally signed the City of Milwaukee’s 2020 Census Count Question Resolution Case in an attempt to rectify the undercounting of housing units that occurred during the 2020 Census, in addition to the undercount of approximately 10,000 people of color in Milwaukee based on the Census Bureau’s own acknowledgement that they undercounted the Black population by 3.3% and the Latino population by nearly 5% across the country.

The 2020 Census was conducted in a difficult environment, and as such the City estimates an undercount of roughly 2,400 housing units, as well as thousands of our city’s Hispanic and Black residents. In a large and diverse city like Milwaukee, this significant undercount that has occurred in communities of color deserves immediate attention.

An undercount of any size or nature isn’t without consequence, as an accurate Census is crucial for the allocation of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding, including grants and support to states, counties, and communities over the next decade.

We are supportive of this effort, and join the Mayor in urging the Census Bureau to promptly review Milwaukee’s case to ensure an accurate count has occurred. Our residents deserve nothing less.