SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Mayor Gavin Newsom initiated an informal challenge to the 2007 Census population estimate for the City and County of San Francisco based on a recent report that estimates there are 864,515 people living in San Francisco – almost 100,000 more than the estimated 764,976. Filing this challenge may allow San Francisco to receive more federal and state funding.
"Every San Franciscan counts, and I am serious about ensuring San Francisco receives our fair share of federal and state funding and attention," said Mayor Newsom. "We can use this new data to attract high quality retailers to our underserved markets and make sure we develop the neighborhoods that have been unfairly undercounted."
San Francisco is the first California city to file a 2007 Census challenge. Mayor Newsom submitted a letter to the Population Division of the US Census Bureau on April 29, and his staff is currently working with City departments to complete extensive supporting data and required information worksheets for the challenge. The challenge materials will be submitted by the end of June, and the Mayor's Office of Community Development (MOCD)
will work closely with Census Bureau staff to correct the population estimate.
According to a 1999 US Conference of Mayors report on the Census, for each person not counted in the Census, it represents an average loss of $2,263 for the decade. Conceptually, if the difference between Census 2000 (776,733) and the Social Compact report data (864,515) which is 87,782 was calculated and multiplied by $2,263, it would equal over $198 million in lost federal and state funding for the decade.
A recent "DrillDown" study completed by national nonprofit expert Social Compact serves as the foundation for the Census challenge. Social Compact utilized commercial, proprietary, local government sources and other data beyond the 2000 Census to build a body of more refined, accurate and timely data in order to develop an alternative assessment of population, income and the local economy.
MOCD and the Mayor´s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (MOEWD) will continue to work utilizing the new data to further support community and workforce reinvestment efforts.
The full report can be found on http://www.socialcompact.org.
"Every San Franciscan counts, and I am serious about ensuring San Francisco receives our fair share of federal and state funding and attention," said Mayor Newsom. "We can use this new data to attract high quality retailers to our underserved markets and make sure we develop the neighborhoods that have been unfairly undercounted."
San Francisco is the first California city to file a 2007 Census challenge. Mayor Newsom submitted a letter to the Population Division of the US Census Bureau on April 29, and his staff is currently working with City departments to complete extensive supporting data and required information worksheets for the challenge. The challenge materials will be submitted by the end of June, and the Mayor's Office of Community Development (MOCD)
will work closely with Census Bureau staff to correct the population estimate.
According to a 1999 US Conference of Mayors report on the Census, for each person not counted in the Census, it represents an average loss of $2,263 for the decade. Conceptually, if the difference between Census 2000 (776,733) and the Social Compact report data (864,515) which is 87,782 was calculated and multiplied by $2,263, it would equal over $198 million in lost federal and state funding for the decade.
A recent "DrillDown" study completed by national nonprofit expert Social Compact serves as the foundation for the Census challenge. Social Compact utilized commercial, proprietary, local government sources and other data beyond the 2000 Census to build a body of more refined, accurate and timely data in order to develop an alternative assessment of population, income and the local economy.
MOCD and the Mayor´s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (MOEWD) will continue to work utilizing the new data to further support community and workforce reinvestment efforts.
The full report can be found on http://www.socialcompact.org.
