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SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN — Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, census efforts are continuing in southwest Michigan.

A month ago, invitations to complete the 2020 census began going out to Michiganders, kicking off a once-a-decade count of citizens that is used to determine the number of seats a state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and also to distribute federal funds to local communities. Soon after, executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many businesses and public spaces as residents were encouraged to stay home to slow the spread of the virus. Now, the U.S. Census Bureau has requested lawmakers extend the deadline to deliver new state population counts to the president by four months, and the self-response phase of the census has been extended.

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, those leading census efforts in Cass County are optimistic about their chances of getting a complete count.

As of press time Tuesday, the state of Michigan had a 55 percent response rate to the census, compared to the national response of 48.6 percent. Berrien County had a 49.8 percent response rate, with Buchanan reporting a 52.6 percent response and Niles reporting a 49.2 percent response rate, according to 2020census.gov.

“We are doing OK, but we have a lot of work to get done to get a complete count,” said Kathy Stady, Berrien County Census Hub coordinator. “I am hoping we don’t have a low count due to the virus, because the census is just too important.”

The biggest challenge the Berrien County Census Hub has faced in the wake of COVID-19 has been the closure of many buildings where census materials were being distributed. To compensate, Stady said the Berrien County team has been ramping up its social media efforts to get the word out and raise awareness of the census. Additionally, she is asking that those who have already completed the census reach out to family and friends to remind them to do so.

“I am really appreciative of people who have already filled out their form. It means so much to the county,” she said.

Stady said the Census Bureau would send out staff workers to go door to door to begin counts on May 28. She said they would only visit homes that had not filled out the census. 

“If you complete it now, you won’t have a census worker knocking on your door,” she said.

In Cass County, a 47.6 percent response rate was reported as of Tuesday, with Cassopolis at 37.7 percent, Dowagiac at 48.1 percent, and Edwardsburg at 39.8 percent.

Roseannn Marchetti, who is on the Cass County Census Committee, said that while she had hoped the county would have a higher count by this point, she thinks Cass County is “doing pretty good” considering setbacks imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak.

“When I look at our response rate, I’m impressed,” she said.

Like Berrien County, Cass County has had to navigate the closure of public spaces, such as libraries, which would have provided computers for residents to use to complete the online census if they did not own one themselves. Marchetti said the Cass County Census Committee would be looking to address those challenges and encouraged residents to complete the census by phone or mail until executive orders were lifted.

“Once we achieve some form of normalcy, which is hopefully going to be in the near future, there will be a big push to get everyone counted,” she said.

Both Marchetti and Stady encouraged residents to respond to the census to get their respective counties’ response rates as close to 100 percent as possible.

“This is critical,” Stady said. “Right now, the COVID crisis has made it crystal clear how important emergency management and the census are. When we started the census, the bureau told us they estimated that 30,000 people would not be counted. When you look at this crisis and the resources it takes to care for [those who contract it], the impact of 30,000 people not counted is huge. The census is important to ensure we get the resources we need year after year.”

Residents can complete the census online at my2020census.gov; by phone at (844) 330-2020; or by returning the paper survey they received in the mail.