News Release

"Stand up and be counted, MoVal!" That's the simple and direct message that City leaders plan to keep repeating as the 2020 U.S. Census draws near. The national count, which takes place every 10 years, helps determine levels of federal funding the community receives for public safety, schools and social services.

The 2020 Census takes place in the month of April, and the first invitations to participate will be mailed to households by the U.S. Census Bureau in mid-March.

To encourage everyone to take part in the Census, the City today launched its own Census 2020 web page at www.moval.org/census featuring helpful information in English and Spanish to answer questions about the big count, including videos in both languages featuring Dr. Yxstian Gutierrez, Mayor of Moreno Valley, which are also being pushed out to social media.

"Our count will have a direct, decade-long effect on the amount of federal funding our community will be able to use to help improve the lives of Moreno Valley residents," Mayor Gutierrez explained. "So it's absolutely critical that we get full Census participation this time."

One of the challenges to that effort is that many residents who lack legal immigration status worry that taking part in the Census will make it harder for them to remain in the United States, a situation that was addressed at the City's recent Census Education and Job Recruitment event. Attendees learned that the Census does not include a citizenship question, and that, by federal law, the U.S. Census Bureau must keep all collected information strictly confidential and may not share it with any other government agency, law enforcement, immigration officials or landlords

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