With less than a month to go before the census deadline, Dallas County officials and volunteers are ramping up efforts to get an accurate count.
On Sunday, a team of people went door-to-door to get people to complete the census.
“It is very important because the census ends in less than 30 days," said Herlinda Resendiz, a canvasser with Dallas County Counts who grew up in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood where Sunday's blockwalk was held.
The goal was to leave information kits on how to get counted at 1,000 homes in districts 5 and 7.
“That’s how we figure out where the money needs to go,” said Ian Dowl, research and development director for JBJ Management who helped organize the blockwalk.
Dowl said they wanted to reach Pleasant Grove because it's a hard-to-count area.
“There's over 40% of people with no internet in this area,” he said.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) joined volunteers outside the Pleasant Oaks Recreation Center to offer his support.
“It’s good to see a familiar face, a familiar face that you voted for, talking about the importance of the census,” Dowl said.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a news conference Tuesday that even a 1% undercount will cost the county $40 million in assistance to the community.
“We need to know who’s here, numbers-wise, so we have the right number of hospital beds, and chairs in the classroom for the next decade," Jenkins said.
The deadline to complete the census is Sept. 30.
Sunday’s blockwalk was a partnership between Somos Tejas and Dallas County Counts.
There are more events like Sunday’s planned until that deadline with elected officials and volunteers.
