The 2010 Census: Vital to Your Community's Future

Every ten years, the federal government conducts the Census, a count of the entire population of the United States. The Census is crucial to obtaining an accurate picture of our people and protecting our community resources, services, and civil rights. The 2010 Census count will take place this spring, when the U.S. Census Bureau sends an official census questionnaire to every household in early March.

During the Census, you will have the opportunity to empower and strengthen your community by providing very basic information about your household on the Census form. The questionnaire asks 10 questions about your home and family members. It takes just 10 minutes to complete but cannot be taken online. All of the information that you provide is kept confidential and is not shared with police, immigration, or Internal Revenue Service authorities. The official questionnaire must be turned in by April 1st.

Your participation in the 2010 Census is critical to the distribution of political power and resources in our community. Census data is used to reconfigure the total number of members within the U.S. House of Representatives, re-draw the lines for each Congressional district in each state and determine the distribution of the Electoral College. Census data is also used to allocate over $400 billion of federal monies each year, through programs such as Head Start, Medicaid, and employment and vocational services. In fact, an undercount of Houston’s population in the 2000 Census cost the city almost $240 million in lost funding over the last ten years for public schools and city services such as police, public transportation, and emergency responders. Lastly, Census data is used to enforce and monitor compliance with our nation’s civil rights laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. By participating in the census, you can help create a better future for your community and those important to you.

When you receive your form in March, be sure to fill it in and mail it back in the postage-paid envelope provided, right away. Your responses should include every person in your household. Make a difference in your community and spread the word about the 2010 U.S. Census!

Take a look at a sample questionnaire (English & Spanish)
http://2010.census.gov/partners/pdf/langfiles/2010_Bilingual_Questionnaire_Info_12pg.pdf

Apply for a Job with the U.S. Census
Call the toll-free Jobs line at (866) 861-2010, or, if you require a Teletext Device for the Deaf (TTD) program, call the federal relay service at 800-877-8339. The U.S. Census Bureau hires locally for 2010 Census temporary jobs that offer flexible hours and competitive pay.

Go to http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/ for more information.
To learn more, visit:  www.2010census.gov.

En Español/Spanish
Tiếng Việt/Vietnamese/ Vietnamese

 The Census: A Snapshot

What: The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States
Who: All U.S. residents must be counted—people of all races and ethnic groups, both citizens and non-citizens.
When: Census Day is April 1, 2010. Questionnaire responses should represent the household as it exists on this day.
Why: The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years. The census will show state population counts and determine representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
How: Census questionnaires will be delivered or mailed to households via U.S. mail in March 2010; many households will receive a replacement questionnaire in early April. Census workers also will visit households that do not return questionnaires.
A Complete Count: The Importance of Census Data

• Affects Community Funding: Every year, the federal government can allocate more than $400 billion to states and communities based, in part, on Census data
• Helps Build Infrastructure: Census data guides planning for new hospitals, roads, job training centers, schools and more.
• Community Essentials: Census data are used to determine the need for additional social services, block grants and other grant programs essential to many communities.
• Quick, Easy and Confidential: By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s census questionnaire responses with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.