NYC Challenges Census Results in Brooklyn, Queens

New York City is asking the U.S. Census Bureau to take another look at neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens that the city feels were undercounted.

The city argues the census incorrectly determined that many housing units in Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Astoria and Jackson Heights were vacant.

Mayor Bloomberg announced Wednesday that he sent a letter to the census director arguing that those neighborhoods are growing. He says something "went awry" in two census offices.

The mayor says the city's population will grow by tens of thousands if the errors are corrected, increasing its share of federal funds. The population is currently 8.18 million.

The Census Bureau has encouraged cities to challenge its findings but has said it stands by the overall count.

Bloomberg says the city plans further challenges.