2020 Census and the City of Takoma Park: What you need to know!

Why is 2020 Census so important?

• The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.
• The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
• For every person not counted, the State of Maryland loses $18,200 over ten years.

Timeline

• March 12 – 20: Households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail.
• March 30 – April 1: The Census Bureau will count people who are experiencing homelessness over these three days. As part of this process, the Census Bureau counts people in shelters, at soup kitchens and mobile food vans, on the streets, and at non-sheltered, outdoor locations such as tent encampments.
• April 1: Census Day is observed nationwide. By this date, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census.
• In mid-March, homes across the country will begin receiving invitations to complete the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways:
• online,
• by phone,
• or by mail.

Who Should I Count?

The Census counts EVERY PERSON in EVERY HOUSEHOLD in the US  including citizens, non-citizen legal residents, non-citizen long-term visitors, and undocumented immigrants.

Only one person in each household needs to complete the form.

A household consists of:

• All the people who occupy a housing unit;
• A house, an apartment or other groups of rooms, or a single room, is regarded as a housing unit when it is occupied.
• The person completing the census form should include every person (adults, children including newborns) in the household on the form.
• The census counts everyone where they live and sleep most of the time, even if the living arrangement is temporary or the parents of the child do not live there.
• The person filling out the form must count all children, including nonrelatives and those only living at the address temporarily on April 1, 2020.

Your Census Responses are safe and secure.

Your privacy matters.
The law is clear – no personal information can be shared.

The Census Bureau is required by law to protect any personal information and keep it strictly confidential. The law states that the information collected may be used for statistical purposes and no other purpose.

The Law is clear – no personal information can be shared. Under Title 13 of the U.S. Code, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about individuals, households, or businesses, even to law enforcement agencies.

By law, your census responses cannot be used against you by any government agency or court in any way—not by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), not by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) not by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and not by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Before publishing any 2020 statistics, the Census Bureau verifies that they meet strict confidentiality standards.

All Census Bureau employees who have access to your data have sworn a lifetime oath to protect your personal information. Any violation comes with a penalty of up to $250,000 and/or up to five (5) years in prison.

The 2020 Census is Accessible for Everyone: How can I complete it?

By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding:

• Online.
• By phone.
• By mail.

What resources are available to help me complete my census?

Online: – the Census Bureau will have a video – in English or in 12 additional languages.

Sign Language: available to guide your online response.

Phone: – you can respond in English or in 12 additional languages.

Device for the Deaf: (TDD) at 844-467-2020.

Mail – Braille and large print guides are available online to assist you with completing the paper questionnaire if you want to respond by mail.

Paper – you can request a paper questionnaire.