Elected Officials to Kick Off Local Census Assistance Forums to Encourage All Houston Residents to Be Counted - March 27           

State and local officials will hold a press conference on Friday, March 26 at 10 a.m. in the Houston City Hall Rotunda to discuss the importance of a fair and accurate census count and to highlight two Houston Be Counted Expos where residents can obtain in-language assistance for filling out their census forms. The expos will provide residents with assistance in filling out the 10-question census form and information on working for the Census Bureau. Community organizations will also be on hand to conduct free health screenings and to provide free tax assistance. The expos are hosted by the Houston Counts Committee, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, the NAACP, the League of Young Voters, National Pan-Hellenic Council of Houston, and the NALEO Educational Fund and the Ya Es Hora, Hagase Contar! campaign. Information gathered through the census affects federal, state and local political representation and is used to distribute more than $440 billion annually in federal funding for many vital social and economic programs that benefit Houston residents.