ATLANTA – State Representative Penny Houston (R-Nashville) encourages residents in Berrien and Cook counties to participate in the 2020 U.S. Census before the September 30 deadline. As of September 1, Georgia’s self-response rate is 60.2 percent, which is behind the national average of 64.6 percent. The response rate in Berrien County is 50.7 percent, and Cook County’s response rate is 51.4 percent.
“Berrien and Cook counties have been working hard this summer to increase the response rates, but we really need to keep pushing to get a complete count before the September 30 deadline, which is approaching quickly,” said Rep. Houston. “Our communities in rural Georgia deserve to receive adequate federal funding and equal representation at the state and federal level. We need to keep reaching out to everyone we know to complete this important census.”
The 2020 U.S. Census ensures accurate representation for districts at both the state and federal level. The number of Georgians counted in the census also helps direct federal funding to local communities for health care, emergency and disaster response, education and infrastructure. For demographic purposes, large and small businesses may also base their future planning on the census results.
Georgians can respond to the 2020 U.S. Census online at my2020census.gov, which takes approximately five minutes to complete. Households may also call 844-330-2020 or fill out and return the official U.S. Census Bureau mail that they may have received. Households have through September 30 to respond to the census, but they are encouraged to respond as soon as possible.
Additionally, the Governor’s Complete Count Committee (CCC) and his nonpartisan initiative called “Every. One. Counts.” have been working to ensure that every Georgia resident is counted.
For more information on Georgia’s participation in the census, please visit https://census.georgia.gov or follow @gacensus2020 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more information on the “Every. One. Counts.” initiative, please click here.
Representative Penny Houston represents the citizens of District 170, which includes all of Berrien and Cook counties and portions of Tift County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1997 and currently serves as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development. She also serves on the Banks & Banking, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Economic Development & Tourism and Ways & Means committees.
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