Baltimore Mayor Jack Young is calling on city residents to respond to the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau announced last week that counting efforts will end on Sept. 30, four weeks earlier than originally planned.

“This is something each of us can do to help the future of our city. It only takes 10 minutes, but it's that important,” Young said at a press conference Wednesday morning. 

Young said responding to the census is more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. For each person not counted, the city loses $18,000 of federal funding for various services over the course of 10 years, he said.

These services include food distribution sites, unemployment assistance, Medicare and Medicaid and community development block grants. 

Young said with just seven weeks to go, a little more than half of Baltimore households have completed the census. 

Catalina Rodriguez-Lima, director of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, said many neighborhoods with large populations of foreign-born residents still have low response rates. She said her office will work to ensure that people in these neighborhoods respond to the census. 

“Everyone counts, regardless of country of origin, language or immigrant status,” she said. 

Rodriguez-Lima wants immigrants to know that the census is safe. 

“The law is clear. No personal information can be shared,” she said. 

Respondents can complete the form online or by calling 844-330-2020. Census employees will visit those who do not respond wearing IDs and PPE.