Monday, March 27, 2000

Census workers count homeless

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Surveyors fan out after sunset

BY MICHAEL D. CLARK
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        This may be the most important week in 10 years for people who call shelters, soup kitchens, half-way houses and the streets their home.

        Tonight in cities across America, workers from the U.S. Census Bureau will fan out in the most sweeping effort since the 1990 national census to count those who don't have a permanent place to live.

TOP QUESTIONS

According to U.S. Census Bureau officials, here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the 2000 national census: • QUESTION: I have received a questionnaire with missing pages or no postage-paid return envelope. What do I do? • ANSWER: Call Telephone Questionnaire Assistance at (800)471-9424 for another census questionnaire. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. for all time zones. • Q: I have not received a questionnaire yet. How do I get a form on my own before a census taker calls or visits my home? • A: This week, “Be Counted” census sites will begin appearing at participanting local government offices and stores. • Q: Why do census forms have so many questions? • A: Every question in Census 2000 is required by law to manage or evaluate federal programs or is needed to meet legal requirements stemming from U.S. court decisions such as the Voting Act. In addition, federal dollars supporting a wide range of services — including schools, employment services, highway construction, housing assistance, programs for the elderly and more — are largely tied to census data. The data also are used for political redistricting. • Q: How is the privacy of respondents protected? • A: No one, except sworn Census Bureau employees, can see your questionnaire or link your name to your responses. Federal law provides severe penalties for any violations.

        Locally after sunset, census workers will begin surveying residents in Tristate shelters.

        “This week is a big week for us,” said Mike Frilling, assistant manager of field operations for the census office in Butler County. “We have a wide variety of people to count that most people don't think about.”

        Mr. Frilling, whose office also coordinates the 2000 census in Warren, Clermont and Preble counties, said that unlike the 1990 census, officials this time have gone to great lengths to work closely with shelter officials and homeless advocates.

        Marc Bergman, local census office manager for Covington, said he still has painful memories of the bungled communications during the 1990 census attempt to count the occupants of shelters and the homeless.

        “The census people this time have focused more attention on working with the local experts. I wish they would have done that in 1990,” said Mr. Bergman. The Covington office coordinates census efforts in 16 Kentucky counties including Boone, Campbell and Kenton.

        Darroll Alexander, administrator at Haven House Emergency Shelter in Hamilton, agreed. Census officials this time around “are doing an excellent job. They have been very helpful. This is important for our funding and we need a good count.”

        Mr. Alexander's facility houses 60-70 nightly.

        The census helps determine the amount of government funding an area gets for everything from schools and housing to jobs and social services.

        Later this week census workers nationwide will canvass mostly urban areas trying to count the homeless. During Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings census workers, usually accompanied by local homeless advocates, will be searching areas known in the past to be occupied by homeless people who do not use emergency shelters.

        “Our mission is to count every resident of this country,” said J. Paul Wyatt, spokesman for the national office of the U.S. Census Bureau. “But a lot of people don't live in conventional housing.”

        Accurate counts of the homeless — or even estimates — are problematic because of the transitory nature of those living in the streets.

        On Friday census surveyors will travel to marinas, campgrounds, carnivals and truck stops to document those living there.

       

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