April 1, 2020: It’s party time, people! We get to see and participate in a rare and wonderful event. Something that only happens once every ten years. Something that could help ensure your community has its fair share of political influence, voting power, and resources for the next decade.

It’s Census Day! This is a stressful and uncertain time, and maybe the census isn’t first thing on your mind. That’s understandable. But right now, it is more important than ever to be counted.

The coronavirus pandemic has made obvious something we’ve always known: some communities get more resources and power than others. The census is our chance to disrupt the long history of under-counting and under-resourcing already marginalized communities. This year, we are demanding our fair share of political power and resources for vital programs. This year, we’re going to all be counted.

[Image description: Hand-lettered text says: "Imagine a World Where We All Count". Around it is a circle of Black and brown faces, a tree, houses, a bus and a bridge, fresh food and school supplies.]

Courtesy of Forward Together

What is the census?

The census is the official population count of all U.S. residents, regardless of immigration status. The U.S. Constitution requires that every ten years the federal government count the U.S. population. The data collected in this year’s census will guide how around $1.5 trillion will be spent across 316 federal programs. It will determine the distribution of funds for programs we rely on every day for food, health care, and housing, like Medicaid, Medicare, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and public housing.

The census data also impacts the political power your community will have. It is used to determine how many representatives your state will have in the U.S. Congress and to draw the boundaries of legislative, voting, and school districts in your area. The census will literally and metaphorically help shape our political future.

We need you included in that process.

Women and trans folks living with HIV count—and our communities need to be counted accurately!

Legally, sure, you’re required to fill out the census. But more importantly, our people – Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ folks, people with disabilities, people with low incomes, people experiencing homelessness, and immigrant families – have always been undercounted in the census. This undercount shifts funding, resources, and political representation away from people most impacted by racist, patriarchal, ableist, and transphobic institutions, continuing the cycle of systemic inequity and violence.

But at PWN we know the truth: People who are most impacted by oppressive systems must be meaningfully involved in visioning, crafting, and implementing solutions. We will not be left out of the process. Participating in the census is one step towards ensuring the presence of women and trans people living with HIV is known; our true political power is felt; and our communities are fully resourced.

What programs are impacted by the census?

The census data determines how much money states will receive for hundreds of vital federally-funded programs, including those that support access to health care, employment, housing, childcare and food.

Here are just a few examples of the programs that impact women and trans people living with HIV:

  • Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest public health insurance program in the U.S. It is also the largest source of insurance coverage for people living with HIV, ensuring that our people are covered for important services like doctor visits, hospital care, and preventive services. The program relies on data taken from the census to ensure that billions of dollars are fairly distributed to the states.  

  • Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA): The HOPWA program is the only federal program that provides housing assistance and other supportive services to people living with HIV who have low incomes.

  • SNAP: SNAP provides food and nutrition assistance to children and families with low incomes, including many people living with HIV. Food insecurity is a known barrier to accessing HIV treatment. A well-balanced diet, on the other hand, can help people living with HIV stay healthy and build muscle.

If you haven’t already done so—respond to the census online today!

You should have received a notice (or more than one notice) in the mail asking you to respond to the census, with a census ID number. You can go to my2020census.gov, enter that census ID number, and answer a few questions about the people living at your address. It will only take a few minutes! If you have not received the notice or can’t find it, don’t worry—you can still go to my2020census.gov and look yours up by address. If you need help completing it, you can call toll-free to 844-330-2020.

Your census responses cannot be used to harm you. The personal information you provide on the census is prohibited by law from being shared with any other federal agency, including law enforcement or immigration enforcement. Learn more here.