Update on 2020 Census Efforts to Count the Homeless
September 10, 2020 Update:
A Message From The U.S. Census Bureau: Last Minute Preparation for the 2020 Census
We appreciate HUD and the Continuums of Care (CoCs) providing additional locations and addresses for the Service-Based Enumeration (SBE) operation of the 2020 Census. However, we caution against waiting too late to provide location information. Any delays will increase the risk of not counting the SBE addresses due to the lack of adequate time for staffing and logistics planning for significant additions. If your agency has information to provide to the Area Census Offices (ACOs), please do so now by emailing dcmd.group.quarters.eresponse@census.gov (the primary email address) or dcmd.group.quarters@census.gov (another active address we shared in HUD’s Office Hours on Friday, September 4).
September 18, 2020 is the last date to submit address information for the 2020 Census SBE operation in order to include the address in our 2020 Census frame. Once the ACO stops adding cases, we will not be able to include those locations in the 2020 Census. It is important that service-based locations reach out to the Census Bureau immediately via the dcmd.group.quarters.eresponse@census.gov to ensure they get counted.
In light of the on-going efforts to address COVID-19, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that they will conduct the count of people experiencing homelessness between September 22 and 24. The Census Bureau is developing protocols and gathering resources, including personal protective equipment (PPE), to ensure that this count is conducted as safely as possible.
The Census Bureau has posted several resources to explain how they count people experiencing homelessness, how privacy and confidentiality are preserved, and how organizations can assist with the count. Additionally, the Census Bureau has published contact information for its Regional Census Centers (RCCs). Reach out to an RCC if you have questions about the count, about who is contacting you, or if you would like to be connected with your Area Census Office.
Area Census Offices will contact service-based locations in August and September to re-schedule the enumeration of the facilities.
Resources
Operational Updates Due to COVID-19:
Persons Experiencing Homelessness, the Highly Mobile, and Renters:
- How the 2020 Census Counts People Experiencing Homelessness Fact Sheet
- Homeless Audiences Fact Sheet
- Service-Based Enumeration Webpage
- Service-Based Enumeration Fact Sheet
- Service-Based Enumeration Brochure
- Group Quarters Enumeration Fact Sheet
- Group Housing Fact Sheet
- Civic Organizations Fact Sheet
- Counting College Students Fact Sheet
Safety and Confidentiality:
- 2020 Census Safety and Security Fact Sheet
- 2020 Census and Confidentiality Fact Sheet
- Confidentiality Half-Page Handout
- Confidentiality Awareness Poster
The contents of these materials, except when based on statutory or regulatory authority or law, do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. These materials are intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.