Low Census Count May Reduce Aid

Because preliminary census figures show a drop of almost 7000 persons in the city. Cambridge may lose federal and state money for youth employment and neighborhood aid programs.

In response to the 1980 census--which indicated that Cambridge's population had fallen from more than 100,000 to below 95,000' state officials said yesterday Cambridge may join about 20 other Massachusetts cities in a suit to force a recount.

City Manager James L. Sullivan said that the Census Bureau probably missed many residents because a large minority does not speak English. He added he will do everything possible to ensure the city gets an adequate count

If the city does not bring suit, the Community Development Department is ready to file its own lawsuit, John Hixson, the department's technical specialist, said yesterday.

Cambridge's loss of population may affect more than 100 federally funded programs, including the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and neighborhood block grants.

In 1979 the CETA provided $5 million for public service jobs, youth programs, and training to 2,080 Cambridge residents.

The census results would definitely reduce that number, Tim Reidy, acting director of the Cambridge CETA program, said yesterday. Although CETA provided 600 public service jobs in Cambridge in 1978, only 50 jobs may be available by March, Reidy said.

A 7-per-cent decrease in population would reduce the number of jobs even more since allocations are based on total population and unemployment. "We are already in a lean year, so any further cutbacks will just hurt more," Reidy added.

Cambridge block grants would also be severely curtailed, Hixson said. Neighborhoods in which the mean income is 80 per cent of Boston's means are eligible for such grants. In 1979 6 of Cambridge's 13 neighborhoods received them.

The census may make many of these neighborhoods, appear wealthier than they are because lower-income families are generally harder to count, Hixson said. "There is a good possibility that one or two neighborhoods may lose their block grants," he added.

The city may also receive less school aid and revenue sharing money. Its Office of Economic Opportunity may also be forced to merge.

Hixson said that the city's transients and illegal immigrants are responsible for many of the unreturned forms. "I wouldn't be surprised if students also had a big impact on the undercount," said Hixson. College students are considered legal residents of Cambridge, even if they file census forms in their hometowns, he added.

But Thomas A. Dingman '67, assistant dean of the College, said that the University was highly successful in counting Harvard students.