U.S. Census Bureau urges all be counted

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- U.S. communities urge residents to mail in their 2010 census questionnaires to bring in more federal funding, a Washington policy analyst said.

The census will determine how the government will allocate more than $500 billion in federal funds, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

A study by the Brookings Institution indicated the amount is significantly higher than the $447 billion distributed in 2008 based on census numbers. The higher figure is due, in part, to federal stimulus funds sent out to lessen the impact of the recession, said Andrew D. Reamer, Brookings Institutution's analyst.

"Counting more people means more money," Reamer said.

The Census Bureau said more than $400 billion in federal money is divided up annually, and mailing in the census form brings more money to communities for housing, parks, schools and roads.

Reamer said 215 federal programs -- such as Medicaid, highway constructions, education grants, and housing vouchers -- rely on census information to formulate how much money will be sent to states, cities and counties.

More than 120 million census questionnaires are to be sent to U.S. households next week.

The Census Bureau is emphasizing the importance of counting all children on the forms.