GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (via WOOD TV) — The big count is nearly upon us.
Next year, people will get a U.S. census form in the mail. If they don’t fill it out, they might get a knock at the door.
In Grand Rapids, concerns of an undercount have prompted city officials to reach out to the community to convince them to take the census.
The city is hiring five people, including four census ambassadors who will head to the neighborhoods to try to get a more accurate count.
“They're talking to people about what is this and why it's important,” said Lou Canfield, the city’s development center manager. “(We want) Somebody who knows the neighborhood well. They understand what its interests and concerns are. They know who to talk to.”
The census ambassadors will concentrate their effort in about a dozen Grand Rapids neighborhoods, including Baxter, Garfield Park, Heartside, John Ball (South West Area Neighbors/John Ball Area Neighbors), Madison (Seeds of Promise), Oakdale, Roosevelt Park, South East Community and West Grand.
“The idea is to focus resources on neighborhoods where we think response tends to be lower,” Canfield said.
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