An accurate census in Michigan will ensure
local communities get their fair share

Submit census information through the Library of Michigan LUCA program by March 31

March 7, 2008—If your community missed the deadline to participate in the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) program directly there is good news.

Because the Library of Michigan is registered to participate in LUCA on behalf of the entire state, it can submit addresses on behalf of any Michigan community that provides their information by March 31, 2008.

A household will not receive a census form in the mail unless the Census Bureau has its address.  That puts it at risk of being missed by the 2010 Census.  The LUCA program provides an opportunity for units of government to improve their census count by submitting addresses to the Census Bureau for inclusion in the census.

One of the most prominent uses of population data is in the distribution of federal funds.  The Census Bureau has estimated that each additional person who is counted by the census will bring $130 in federal funds to their local, county, and state governments each year—that's $1,300 over the ten-year period in which 2010 census data will be in use. 

Census counts are also used to ensure fair representation when new boundaries are drawn for political districts.  A complete census count will also reduce the likelihood that Michigan will lose a seat in Congress.  Census figures are also used for a wide variety of other purposes by businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private individuals.

Any household missed by the census will also be left out of the Census Bureau’s annual population estimates for the next ten years, since those estimates use the Census as their base.  They will also be left out of the results of the American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey, and any other surveys that are calibrated to the population estimates.

Don’t miss out on your community’s fair share!  For more information, click here.