On August 11, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau will begin dispatching representatives to non-responsive households. Here’s what you can expect – and what you need to know – when a census taker visits your home.
On July 16, 2020, representatives the U.S. Census Bureau began visiting non-responsive households (those households who have not already self-responded via mail, phone, or online) in six U.S. cities as a “soft launch” to ensure the success of in-person response collection nationwide. The Census Bureau added additional cities to the “soft launch” list on July 20, 2020, with plans to begin visiting non-responsive households across the nation on August 11.
What You Can Expect
- A census taker will visit your home between the hours of 9:00 am and 9:00 pm, weekends included.
- If you are not home, the census taker may leave a notice and return several times to ensure your household is counted.
- The census taker will ask you a few questions regarding your name, age, race and gender.
- If the census taker does not speak your language, you can request a return visit or submit your response online at www.2020census.gov.
- Confidentiality
- All interviews conducted by U.S. census takers are confidential. Your response can not be shared with law enforcement or immigration agencies.
- Census takers are required to keep responses confidential for life. Census takers can face fines and/or jail time for breaking this law.
Health and Safety Measures
In light of COVID-19, census takers have been trained to follow the following health and safety precautions:
- All census takers are trained to wear a mask when visiting households
- Interviews will be conducted outside the home in an open, well-ventilated space when possible.
- Census takers should maintain at least six feet of distance between them and the person they are interviewing
- Census Bureau equipment should be operated by the census taker only.
- Census takers should follow healthy hygiene habits such as frequent hand washing, avoiding contact with high-touch surfaces, avoiding touching of their face, etc.
If you are not comfortable conducting the interview in person, you may give the census taker with your phone number and conduct the interview via phone. You may also self-respond online at www.2020census.gov or via phone (844) 330-2020 at any time.
Identifying a Census Taker
Households may use the following identifiers to verify that someone is a census taker:
- Census takers should have an ID badge with their photo, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date.
- Census takers should have a Census Bureau-issued phone.
- Many census takers will carry a bag with the Census Bureau logo.
- Census takers will not ask questions regarding your Social Security number, bank information, or citizenship status.
If you are still not certain that someone is a census taker, you may contact the Dallas Regional Census Center at (972) 510-1800.
Your Response Matters
As one of the fastest growing regions in the nation, Denton County residents have a lot to gain – or lose – in the 2020 Census. For every 1% of the population that does not respond, Denton County residents could lose up to $10.2 million dollars in federal funding. Census data also impacts the following:
Public Education
- Census data helps determine how much funding should be allocated to school districts for improved facilities, free and reduced lunch programs, special education, Head Start programs, classroom technology and more.
Roads and Highways
- If you’ve ever experienced traffic on a state-maintained road or highway (think I-35W, SH 114 or FM 407), now is your time to speak up! Funding for improvements to community infrastructure is influenced by population data collected in the U.S. Census.
State Representation
- The number of delegates from each state in the U.S. House of Representatives is determined by the U.S. Census. States with smaller populations may only have one delegate, while large states with high population density (like Texas) may have 30 or more.
Local Businesses
- Local businesses and services such as grocery stores, restaurants, retail shopping and hospitals use U.S. Census data to determine where they will place future locations.
The U.S. Census is only conducted every ten years… don’t miss this chance to make Northlake count! If you would prefer to respond online or by phone, there’s still time! Visit www.2020census.gov or call (844) 330-2020 to submit your response today.
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