Form D-3277 (E)

National Partnership Presentation: What Does the Census Mean to

Your Community?

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Our Goal is to Count Everyone – Just Once and in the Right Place!

• 134 million housing units to receive questionnaires by mail

• 270,000 group quarters

• 309 million people

• 3.5 million square miles of land area

• 6.7 million census blocks “Its In Our Hands”

Questionnaire DeliveryQuestionnaire Delivery

• Questionnaires delivered or mailed to all housing units in March 2010

• March 8-10 Advance Letter• March 15-17 Questionnaire• March 22-24 Reminder Postcard• APRIL 1 CENSUS DAY

The 2010 Census

• It’s safe• It’s easy• It’s important• It’s vital• It’s required

2010 Census Operation Milestones April - July 2009 Address Canvassing

Census Workers systematically canvass all census blocks, updating address/map information.

February 2010 – Questionnaire Assistance Centers open

Walk-in centers available to help people—especially those with little or no English-speaking ability-complete questionnaires

Mid-March 2010 – Mailout/Mailback begins

USPS and Census Workers deliver initial 2010 Census Questionnaires

March 19 - April 19 –Be Counted program Implemented

Census questionnaires available at select public sites for individuals who did not receive one by mail

April 1, 2010 – Census Day!

Information provided on the 2010 questionnaire should represent the respective household as it exists on this day.

1. It’s Safe…

• Safe & Confidential: By law, responses cannot be shared with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.

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Confidentiality• By law, the Census is a mandatory activity – Title 13,

U.S.C.

• Data are collected only for statistical purposes and it is against the law to disclose any data that identifies a person.

• Only sworn individuals have access to confidential information. Every Census Bureau employee has taken an oath to protect the information and is subject to a jail term, a fine, or both if he or she discloses any information that could identify an individual.

•Individual responses are protected and information cannot be used against a person by any government agency or court.

•The Census Bureau takes extraordinary measures to protect the confidentiality of personal information. Access to personally identifiable information is tightly controlled at all times.

Confidentiality

2. It’s Easy…

10 Questions 10 minutes

2010 Census Questionnaire10 Q

10 Questions

10 Questions

About the housing unit:

• How many people live here?

• Did you include everyone?

• Is the house owned or rented?

• Telephone number

10 Questions

10 Minutes to Complete

About each individual:

• Name

• Gender

• Age and birth date

• Hispanic Origin

• Race

• Other residence?

3. It’s Important…

• To define who we are as a Nation…

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The Importance of Census Data• Census data helps ensure that each

community receives its fair share of political representation through:

• Congressional Apportionment• Legislative Redistricting

• Census data directly affect how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is allocated to local, state and tribal governments – $4 trillion over a decade.

Federal Funds Allocation

Each year more than $400 billion in federal funds is awarded to states and communities based, in part, on census data.

• 2008-Wayne (MI) receives $71 million for School Lunches

• 2008-Orleans Parish receives $690 million for Medical Assistance

• 2008-Cook County (IL) receives $199 million for Section 8 Housing

• 2008-Hillsborough County (FL) receives $123 million for Food Stamps

• 2008-Dallas County (TX) receives $174 million for Highway Planning and Construction

Large Programs

• 10 largest programs account for 83.4% of allocations

• Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) accounts for more than 45.5% of funding alone

• 10 smallest programs account for less than 0.01% of allocations

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10 Largest Programs

Programs Rely on Census Bureau Data

• 140 programs use income and population data

• 133 – Census Bureau and not-specified

• 15 agencies depend on income and population data

• Agriculture, Education and HHS account for more than half of all programs and dollars

List of Agencies

Fair representation in Congress

After the 2000 Census • New York loses two Congressional seats reducing the

number of representatives from 31 to 29

• Florida gains two Congressional seats raising the number of representatives from 23 to 25

• California gains one Congressional seat raising the number of representatives from 52 to 53

• Michigan loses one seat (16 to 15)

• Texas gains two seats (30 to 32)

2010 Redistricting

Apportionment of Congress is only half the process of distributing political power.

Virtually all states rely on the census numbers for redistricting, the redrawing of political districts within the states after apportionment.

These areas must meet the "one-person-one-vote" requirements of the Supreme Court.

Missed Population = Missed Dollars

4. It’s Vital…

• The 2010 Census is all about community.

• Census data are used to determine the location of schools, hospitals, businesses and other community facilities

Community Benefits

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Accurate Census Data Results in Community Benefits

• Housing Vouchers• Employment Services• Veterans Programs• Special Programs for the Elderly• Head Start Funding• Nutrition Programs• Law Enforcement• Community Colleges• Funding for Handicapped Children• And . . .

5. It’s Required…

• It’s required by law. – The information you provide is combined with responses provided by your neighbors and other households across the country, to provide summary statistical data that are used by various local, state and federal agencies.

So Why is It Hard to Count Everyone?

• Apathy

• Lack of Knowledge

• Fear/distrust of our government

• Displacement

• Overcrowded housing

• Hidden housing

• Language Barriers

• Foreclosures• Temporary

housing• Multiple

residences• Less Mail• Disconnected• Too Busy• Complex Living

Arrangements

Who are the “Hard-to-Count”?

• Homeless

• Lower income

• Unemployed

• Linguistically isolated

• Renters

• People with large households

• Public Assistance

• Low education

Groups With Historically High Undercounts

• Minorities

• Black Males

• Latinos

• American Indians

• Recent Immigrants

• Limited English proficiency

• Renters

• Low income residents in densely populated areas

• Low income residents in sparsely populated areas

• Young Children

Examples of Overcoming Challenges

Work with Complete Count Committees

Deliver bilingual forms to areas with high concentrations of linguistically-isolated households

Provide language assistance guides in 59 languages

Concentrate outreach efforts using 2010 Census Planning Database

Partnership Program

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What You Can Do

• Become a Census Partner

• Publicly endorse the 2010 Census

• Host a Questionnaire Assistance Center

• Participate in or form a Complete Count Committee

• Mobilize your constituents to fully participate

• Host an event

• Help local schools implement the Census in Schools program

• Specialized outreach to selected HTC Populations

2010 Census Website

For more detailed information on the 2010 Census…

• http://2010.census.gov

W.Troy KingNational Partnership Specialist301-763-4504William.T.King@census.gov

Nina S. HeggsAsst Branch Chief, 2010 National Partnership

Branch301-763-4446Nina.S.Heggs@census.gov

Contact