Statement from Julie Menin, Director, NYC Census 2020 and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel, NYC Law Department

In response to dozens of complaints received by NYC Census 2020 in regards to buildings across NYC not granting access to census enumerators, the following statement is issued.

"Donald Trump has already dealt an enormous blow to the census by cutting it short by a month -- let's not have it be a fatal one by blocking access to our buildings, a problem that we've heard dozens of troubling reports about," said Julie Menin, Director, NYC Census 2020 and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel, NYC Law Department. "It is critical that all property managers, building workers, as well as co-op and condo boards, grant access to the vetted, trained, and trusted census door-knockers who are out in the streets right now, attempting to count the 1.6 million households that have not yet responded to the census. While the easiest and most effective way for all New Yorkers to respond to the census remains to do so online at my2020census.gov, if an enumerator comes to your property, make sure to ask for their photo identification with the U.S. Department of Commerce watermark. In addition, look for the Census Bureau's logo on their bags and devices. For more information on the Bureau's Non-Response Follow Up operation, please visit nyc.gov/census."

Download the NRFU Building Access Letter in

About NYC Census 2020

NYC Census 2020 is a first-of-its-kind organizing initiative established by Mayor de Blasio in January 2019 to ensure a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census. The $40 million program is built on four pillars: (1) a $19 million community-based awards program, The New York City Complete Count Fund, empowering 157 community-based organizations to engage historically undercounted communities around the 2020 Census; (2) an in-house "Get Out the Count" field campaign supported by the smart use of cutting-edge data and organizing technology, and a volunteer organizing program to promote a complete count in each of the city's 245 neighborhoods; (3) an innovative, multilingual, tailored messaging and marketing campaign, including a $3 million commitment to investing in community and ethnic media to reach every New York City community; as well as (4) an in-depth Agency and Partnerships engagement plan that seeks to leverage the power of the City's 350,000-strong workforce and the city's major institutions, including libraries, hospitals, faith-based communities, cultural institutions, higher educational institutions, and more, to communicate with New Yorkers about the critical importance of census participation. Through close partnerships with trusted leaders and organizations across the five boroughs, this unprecedented campaign represents the largest municipal investment in census organizing nationwide and will build an enduring structure that empowers New Yorkers to remain civically engaged.