Harris County opens new 2020 census location

A historic Houston building is getting a new purpose by helping to organize the hiring of thousands of workers in for the 2020 census.

The upcoming census has many worried about participation after a citizenship question was proposed, then later tossed out by the Supreme Court.

But Harris County leaders hope with new funding and census locations, everyone in the Houston area will come forward and be counted.

Thursday, city leaders gathered at the African American library at the Gregory School to celebrate the opening of one of the first area census offices in the southeast Texas region.

It is one of eight locations in Harris county which will help to coordinate around 5,000 new census jobs ahead of 2020.

The county hopes to attract census workers who can encourage people in underserved communities to participate- especially the hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants in the area.

City leaders gathered at the African American library at the Gregory School to celebrate the opening of one of the first area census offices in the southeast Texas region.

"It’s a great opportunity to do good for the community- to be part of this bigger cause and making sure we don't allow our communities to be intimidated,“ says Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

“For every percentage point increase in participation in the census, we stand to gain up to fifty million dollars over the next 10 years," she adds.

The census officially starts April 1, and for the first time there will be an online option to complete it.

The temporary census-taking positions pay between 19 to 24 dollars an hour.

Click here to submit an application.