Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Michelle R. Smith, STF / Associated Press Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

Among America’s 10 largest cities, Houston faces the greatest danger of being undercounted in the 2020 Census, meaning millions of people could miss out on equitable services and political representation in the coming decade.

Producing this once-a-decade snapshot of the population means overcoming language barriers and the digital divide, tracking down couch surfers, college students, migrant workers and homeless people and convincing undocumented immigrants and recent refugees to fill out the form online, on paper or by phone. Some fear exposure or are suspicious of the government.

In addition, the state has not provided funds for Census efforts.

But Houston and Harris County have launched a $6 million “complete count” mobilization that will use real-time response data and employ trusted voices within faith groups, health agencies, schools and cultural hubs to encourage community members to fill out the nine-question form. The outreach also includes billboards, traditional and social media campaigns and five new Census-focused murals in neighborhoods with high populations of people who are traditionally hard for census workers to locate, contact, persuade or interview.

The city and county commissioned a study by Lopez Negrete Communications, a local firm, which found there is no one-size-fits-all solution that reaches undercounted communities. Latinos tended to lack information about the Census and did not recognize a clear benefit in participating. Blacks knew more about it and wanted to participate to prevent gerrymandering. Chinese respondents were more willing to participate if it was online, but the messaging had to be tailored toward a better future. Vietnamese participants were more likely to respond if they thought it was mandatory. Census outreach efforts have been tailored to address some of these findings.

Although the 2010 effort was billed as a success, 25 percent of the region’s households did not respond to that Census, officials said. The Census estimates 61,500 people in Harris County were not counted.

“There is no single cause for the undercount, so there is no single solution,” said Mariana Navarro, a spokesperson for the U.S. Census Bureau at the Dallas field office.

The region is replete with hard-to-count populations that have been identified by the Census, including young children, renters, racial and ethnic minorities, non-English speakers, LGBTQ people, low-income people, people with mental or physical disabilities and undocumented immigrants. About 800,000 of the estimated 11 million undocumented people in the country are believed to have been missed, according to the Center for Migration Studies. The New York based think tank noted that participation of undocumented residents was higher than officials expected.

It’s imperative to get it right, bridge gaps and reach people this time, according Nabila Mansoor, who advocates for civic engagement in the Asian and Pacific Islander community through the Empowering Communities Initiative and in Muslim communities through Emgage, groups helping in the effort.

More Information Key facts about Census 2020 -Census forms will be mailed on March 12 and participants may respond online for the first time, or complete the form in writing or by phone, with assistance available in multiple languages. -In 2020, participants can complete the nine-question form online, mail in a printed form in English or Spanish or report their answers by phone to a Census worker in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, French, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Polish or Haitian Creole. Enumerators will also spread out across the country to begin collecting information door to door in some regions of the country. -Information is available at Census 2020 website. -For general questions: Visit Census Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, or call 301-763-INFO (4636) or 800-923-8282. -For information on services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing:Call the TTY number at 800-877-8339 to reach the Federal Relay Service. -Article I, section 2, of the U.S. Constitution requires that every person in the United States — including recent immigrants, tourists and babies — be counted in the Census. -The government is prohibited from disclosing Census information, including names, addresses and social security number for 72 years. A violation is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. -The Census asks how many people are in the home, ages, genders, relationships, racial and ethnic backgrounds and marital status. -The Census does not ask about citizenship, immigration status, criminal record, public benefits or income.

“Historically, when you look at how the Census has been rolled out you see there’s been a systemic undercounting of certain communities that’s embedded in the structure of the Census,” Mansoor said. “Groups without power tend not to respond.”

Immigrants may see someone come to the door and “they’re wearing some kind of government badge and don’t speak the language. Are you going to open the door? It sounds good on paper, but I’m not sure the execution is such that we’ll get a full count,” she said.

In Mansoor’s view, “There are lots of imperfections in the form that is trying to get a profile of our nation that is changing so fast.”

A key to reaching those who don’t know about the Census, don’t understand its importance or don’t trust the government, local officials believe, is the corps of trusted advocates they have recruited.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com