The U.S. Census Bureau is preparing for National Census Day April 1.

Robert F. Toth Jr., area census office manager with the Philadelphia Regional Census Center in South Whitehall, told The Press Jan. 17 his office, which covers eight local counties, is still in the recruiting phase of hiring workers.

The U.S. Constitution mandates that every 10 years a census be conducted to count the population.

Data from the census provides the basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to communities across the country to support programs affecting housing, education, transportation, employment, health care and public policy.

The count is also used to redraw boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts, and to determine the number of congressional seats each state has in the House of Representatives.

Toth said starting in mid-March, households across the United States will receive a postcard in the mail with detailed information about the census and how citizens can respond online or by phone.

“By the middle of April, if people have not responded by phone or online, they will receive a hard copy census questionnaire in the mail,” Toth said.

He added that by mid-May census workers will personally seek out those who have not responded. Responding to the census is mandatory.

March 30 to April 1, the Census Bureau will count the homeless and those living in shelters, at soup kitchens, on the streets and IN tent encampments. After that, census takers will visit college campuses, senior care homes and other locations where large groups of people live.

“The 2020 census is the first time we are using technology to enumerate the population,” Toth said, but there is no simple application for the process. You must respond by phone or computer.

Toth said the 2020 census is 100 percent confidential.

According to information provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, responses to questions will not publicly be released in any way that could identify an individual.

Information will not be shared with immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE, law enforcement agencies such as the FBI or police, or be used to determine eligibility for government benefits.

The Census Bureau will never ask for:

• Social Security numbers;

•Bank or credit card account numbers;

•Money or donations; or

• Anything on behalf of a political party.

Some questions on the census include:

• How many people were living or staying in your home, apartment or mobile home on April 1, 2020;

• What is your name, sex, age, date of birth, race, telephone number; and

• Is the residence a house, apartment or mobile home.

Census Bureau Surveys

In addition to the decennial census, the U.S. Census Bureau also conducts four types of surveys:

• The American Community Survey is an ongoing national survey. Approximately 3.5 million addresses are sampled annually. This survey provides information about housing and people.

• The demographic survey measures income, poverty, education, health insurance coverage, housing quality, crime victimization, computer usage and other subjects.

• Economic surveys are conducted monthly, quarterly and yearly. They cover selected sectors of the economy and supplement the economic census, which is done every five years, with more frequent information about the economy.

For more information on the census, go to 2020census.gov.