Community leaders and neighborhood organizations are rallying for New York City residents to participate in this year’s census count. The 10-question surveys were mailed out in the middle of March, and the deadline for returning the forms is April 1.

“The actions of one day—the consequences of that—will live with us for the next 10 years,” said New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez, who attended a census awareness press conference at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism on March 19.

The event, organized by the New York Community Media Alliance, was held to urge media outlets in minority neighborhoods—where census participation is generally lower—to spread word about the importance of filling out the forms.

Census data is used to determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as how much federal money is allocated to community services and projects. According to the Census Bureau, $400 billion is doled out locally each year from the federal government. How much each area gets is based on population numbers gauged from the census.

“If you don’t get counted, you essentially don’t exist,” said City Comptroller John C. Liu, who also attended the press conference. “We want to make sure that everyone in New York City, especially in immigrant communities, gets counted.”

During the last census in 2000, 56 percent of Bronx residents responded, and only 55 percent of New York City overall answered their census forms. This is well below the national response rate of 67 percent. This year, Cortes-Vazquez said the city’s goal is to have at least 70 percent of the population participate.

One particular challenge to an accurate census count is getting immigrant communities to mail in their forms. Many immigrant households have undocumented members who, fearful of deportation or of questions about their status, are wary of answering the survey.

Cortes-Vazquez said there’s been a movement in some Hispanic communities to boycott the census—something she called “absurd,” adding that there are absolutely no questions on the forms having to do with citizenship status or income.

The Census Bureau is urging residents to mail their questionnaires by April 1. In May, workers will begin follow-up operations and visit households that have not responded.

Ed. Note: Bronx residents who have questions or need assistance filling out the forms can call one of the following help lines: (718) 216-2639, (347) 284-0226 or (718) 216-2756. Or visit www.nyc.gov/census2010 for more information.