LA Counts 2010

What is the Census?

The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States. The next Census occurs in 2010.

Who is counted?

• All U.S. residents must be counted—both citizens and non citizens.
• The census counts every person who lives in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam.
• The census counts both citizens and non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants.
• Even those people who don't have traditional "homes" are counted, such as people who are homeless, prison inmates, and residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
• Military personnel and federal civilian government employees, as well as their dependents, which are stationed overseas, are counted as part of the "overseas population" for purposes of congressional apportionment only.

When is the Census held?

The next Census will occur in 2010. People will receive questionnaires in March 2010 either by U.S. mail or hand delivery. Some people in remote areas will be counted in person.

The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years to count the population and determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. has been conducting a census since 1790.

How is each household counted?

• Households will receive an “advance letter” in March 2010 informing them that they will soon receive a census form to fill out.
• Census questionnaires will be mailed to all U.S. households in March 2010, and people will be asked to provide information that is accurate as of April 1, 2010.
• Households that do not respond by mail will be sent a second form. About 40 million addresses in areas previously identified as hard-to-count or that have a low response rate will receive a replacement questionnaire.
• By late April, the Census Bureau will deploy census takers to visit all homes that still have not returned a questionnaire, to collect the information in person. Census takers may return up to six times to make sure a household is included in the count. The Census Bureau estimates that more than a third of addresses will not mail back a form.
• People are counted at the location where they live and sleep most of the year.

How do I complete the form?

• The census form is easy to complete and takes less than 10 minutes to fill out. The questionnaire asks only a few simple questions for each person in the household: name, relationship, gender, age and date of birth, race, and whether the respondent owns or rents his or her home. The census does not ask about a person's immigration status.
• The individual in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented should complete the questionnaire on behalf of every person living in the residence, including relatives and non-relatives.

What kind of assistance is available to help people complete the questionnaire?

• The Bureau will send forms in English and Spanish to about 13 million households in areas that have a high concentration of Spanish speakers.
• You can call a phone number on the back of the English form to request a questionnaire in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, or Russian.
• There are language guides for more than 50 additional languages.
• Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QAC) and Be Counted sites will also assist those unable to read or understand the questionnaire, people who did not receive a form or believe they were left off the Census form that was mailed in from the residence. Large-print questionnaires are available to the visually impaired upon request, and a Teletext Device for the Deaf (TDD) program will help the hearing impaired. Contact your Regional Census Center for more details about the types of assistance available and for QAC locations.
• Federal law requires that everyone participate in the census - you cannot "opt out."

Is the Census data safe and confidential?

Absolutely. All responses provided on the 2010 Census questionnaire or to a Census Bureau employee are confidential and protected under Title 13 of the United States Code. Under this law, no individual or agency (federal, state or local) can have access to any information that will tie the respondent to his or her responses. In simple terms, this means NO IRS, NO IMMIGRATION, NO CIA, NO FBI, NO POLICE, NO WELFARE AGENCY, NO COURT, NO HOMELAND SECURITY, NO FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES can access and identify any individual and the responses provided. The results from the census are reported in statistical format only.

Individual records from the decennial censuses are confidential for 72 years, by law (Title 44, United States Code). Any person can request information to prove his or her age and residency, but NO ONE ELSE CAN DO THIS FOR ANOTHER PERSON.

Furthermore, under Title 13, United States Code, ALL Census Bureau employees have lifetime-sworn status. It is a felony for any Census Bureau employee to disclose any confidential census information whether during or after employment and the penalty for wrongful disclosure is up to five years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000.

Why is Census data important?

• Every year, the federal government allocates more than $400 billion to states and communities based, in part, on census data.
• Census data are used to determine locations for retail stores, schools, hospitals, new housing developments and other community facilities.
• Census data determine boundaries for state and local legislative and congressional districts.
• The federal government uses population data to allocate funds in a number of areas: Title 1 grants to educational agencies (school districts across the nation); Head Start programs; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (food grants); Public transportation; Road rehabilitation and construction; Programs for the elderly; Emergency food and shelter; and Empowerment zones.
• The data help the private sector as well as state and federal governments determine where jobs and job programs are needed.
• Census data help potential homeowners research property values, median income, and other demographic information about a particular community.
• Corporations use population data for market research to determine locations for commercial enterprises, such as food stores, pharmacies, and other essential services.

What’s the difference between the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mayor’s Office of the Census 2010?

The Census Bureau was established in 1902 and is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Bureau is responsible for administering the Census, which includes conducting the survey throughout the nation, recruiting staff, verifying addresses, developing community partnerships, and implementing a mass communications plan.

The Office of Census 2010 was established in October 2008 and is responsible for leading a comprehensive public awareness and outreach campaign to ensure that every Angeleno is counted by the Census. The Mayor’s Office of Census 2010 does not administer the federal Census survey, nor does it hire federal workers. However, this office coordinates with the U.S. Census Bureau to provide City data such as addresses and to share outreach strategies.

How does the Census Bureau count people from non-traditional residences?

• Group Residences (Dorms, Military Barracks, Nursing Homes, or Prisons): Group quarters enumeration occurs for those who live in a group setting, such as college dormitories, military barracks, prisons and jails, most nursing homes, and juvenile institutions. Residents of group quarters are counted with assistance from facility administrators, using a modified census questionnaire.
• Transitory Residences (Hotels, Campgrounds, RV Parks): Transitory location enumeration is designed for people whose “usual home” at the time of the census is mobile such as RV parks, campgrounds, hotels, motels, marinas, racetracks, circuses, and carnivals. This enumeration is especially important for people displaced by the hurricanes and the home foreclosure crisis. Transitory locations are identified by address canvassing and local knowledge and will take place between March 22 and April 16, 2010.
• People without a Fixed Residence (Homeless): Service-based enumeration will occur in pre-identified places for people without a usual place of residence, such as soup kitchens, homeless shelters, shelters for abused women, regularly scheduled mobile food vans, and targeted non-sheltered outdoor locations. The Census Bureau will conduct this enumeration during the evening over a three-day period at the end of March 2010.