Widespread Foreclosure Evictions Making Population Count Difficult

Widespread foreclosure evictions are making it difficult for census to accurately count the population in cities. The problem is acute especially in Detroit. The Detroit Free Press noted that two recent calculations showed differences up to 17.3%.

As per the findings of American Community Survey (branch of Census Bureau of USA) in 2008 Detroit’s population count was 777,493. Another count for the same year using different methods noted the population to be 912,062.
All the cities in the country show some differences in two counts in no other city has the gap has been as wide as in Detroit. In other cities the difference is 3%.

Kurt Metzger of Community Information System, Detroit said, “I think the Census Bureau is probably concerned, or should be concerned. What is a good number? I think Detroit deserves an explanation because they’re so far apart, so much more so than anybody else.”

Demographers remain unclear about the reason for this gap. But Metzger pins the problem on widespread foreclosures that have led to eviction of families. This has made it difficult to make an accurate count.

The Census Bureau takes the higher number of the two estimates basing it on their 2000 count. Annually they have kept updating it by taking into account the number of houses, the demolitions and other information. The American Community Survey that has given the lower figure conducts researches on American lifestyles and then calculates figures basing it on statistical sampling.

Demographers underline the importance of accurate counting in 2010 pointing to the sharp variance between the two calculations. The head count is vital as on it depends representation in the Congress and is also linked to billions in federal as well as state aid.

The crisis in the state budget and other related matter delayed the planning of the census move said Sam Singh, an expert on census matters of Michigan Nonprofit Association. The result is that Detroit is not ready for the count. Singh said, “Our political leaders think that this is down the road. The reality is, it’s only a few months away, and you have to have the right plan and preparation to have a successful census.”

This is refuted by Kim Hunter a representative of the Detroit branch of the Census Bureau. He said that the office of the Mayor, Dave Bing has been in tandem with the Bureau to spread the message.

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