Facing controversial Census 2020, Boston's goal is to 'move forward'

BOSTON — We’re officially one year out from Census 2020 and the stakes couldn’t be higher for cities and towns across the Commonwealth.

In Boston, advocates and elected leaders have already started working to make sure every resident is counted and so are the federal dollars they represent.

"We also have nearly $2,400 of federal funding per person, per year, on the line for every person that’s not counted," Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Association Organizing Director Liza Ryan said.

Massachusetts receives $60 billion in federal funding that goes toward transportation infrastructure, SNAP benefits, free and reduced lunch in schools and public housing and new affordbale housing construction.

"It’s difficult when you’re the only people building the housing as the City of Boston when you don’t have a federal partner to make investments," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Monday. "On the other side, which scares me more than having enough affordable housing, is the lack of investment in public housing."

With Census 2020, representaton litteraly matters. The count affects the number of seats in congress from Boston.

For upwards of half a million so-called “hard to count” residents, filling out the census is a terrifying proposition. Just ask Gladys Vega. She’s been working in census collection for three decades.

"People have a fear of sharing their information," Vega said. "Their address, their name, if they’re documented, they’re undocumented, what country do they come from?"

It is currently illegal to share census data with law enforcement, something President Donald Trump is challeging in court.

"We can’t let the noise around immigrants and the census throw us off our game," Mayor Walsh said. "We need to continue to move forward."

Cox Media Group