2008 Census Dress Rehearsal

DC

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

June 1, 2008

FROM THE DIRECTOR
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
RE: Facility Manager
The United States Constitution provides that a census of the United States be taken every 10 years.
In the year 2010, the Census Bureau will conduct the 2010 Census across the Nation to enumerate
the U.S. population. In addition to counting residents living in homes, the Census Bureau will also
count people living in group quarters like correctional facilities and residential treatment centers. The
decennial census provides the information each community needs to obtain funding for health
assistance, services for the older adults, employment services, schools, and more.
The 2008 Census Dress Rehearsal will help us rehearse procedures used in collecting group
quarters information before we conduct a full census in 2010. We will enumerate people who live or
stay in group quarters, such as group homes, and workers’ group living quarters. We also will
enumerate those who stay at facilities that provide living accommodations and other services to
people experiencing homelessness. Our goal is to provide everyone an opportunity to be included in
the census.
When enumerating people living in group quarters and clients who use services, such as services
provided by a shelter or a soup kitchen, we collect each person’s name, gender, age, date of birth,
race, ethnicity, and usual residence address.
Census data serve as the basis for many decisions that affect your community and your group
quarters facility. Federal and state funds for group quarter facilities are often allocated based on
census data. Federal, state, and local governments, businesses, health organizations, financial
institutions, educational institutions and facilities that provide services to others, rely heavily on
information collected during the group quarters operations. Government programs, such as the
Public Works and Economic Development Act, rely on census data. This program uses the number
of unemployed people and people with low incomes to determine a community’s qualification for
public assistance.
If you have any questions, please call the Local Census Office. The number is provided in your
census materials. Thank you for your cooperation, and we look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,

Charles Louis Kincannon
Director

USCENSUSBUREAU
DX-30(L)FM

www.census.gov/census2010