2020 Census

NeighborImpact office locations are not currently providing in-person census support as a matter of public health. Assistance will be available again as COVID-19 subsides. See below for more information and frequently asked questions.

 

The U.S. Census is coming to Central Oregon and your participation is critical. The US Census will help to determine the amount of money available in Central Oregon to support programs like Head Start, the regional Food Bank and Energy Assistance. NeighborImpact is one of many regional organizations that rely partly on public funding to support our operations.  An incomplete count means that dollars belonging to Oregon will end up elsewhere while doing nothing to diminish the demand for services locally.

How to Respond

The 2020 Census is being conducted online and over the phone. People living in Central Oregon should receive an invitation letter at their residence. The letter will include a census number that will be requested, but not be required, at the time you fill out the census. You will have until the end of April to complete the census questionnaire. If you ignore the letter, you will likely receive follow up from census workers. This may include a home visit where they will knock on your door and ask you to complete the census in person. If you do not receive a letter, you are still required to participate in the census. You can complete the form online or over the phone without a census ID number. First check with other members of your household to see if someone else opened the letter and responded. If so, did they include you? If not, you can go online or call toll-fee 844-330-2020 to complete the 2020 Census.

FAQs

The census letter is not intended for an individual person. It is sent to a household. Whoever acts as the head of household should open it and complete the census.

In shared living space, whoever opens the letter should fill out the census on behalf of the household, including everyone who is living there as of April 1.

You should open the letter where you receive it. Fill out the census form based on where you were or will be living on April 1.

Anyone who was living with you, including all children, on April 1.

Census letters were mailed out to residences in mid-March. The 2020 Census date is April 1, and participants will have until the end of April to self-respond. Beginning in May, census workers will begin conducting home visits to addresses that received a letter but have not responded. The last day to fill out the census online or over the phone is July 24.

The once-a-decade US Census is mandated by the Constitution and participation is required by law. While no one has been prosecuted for not participating since the 1970s, by taking part in the census you are helping organizations like NeighborImpact access dollars that fund essential social services in Central Oregon. These dollars also help fund health care services, build roads, feed the hungry and much more.

If you receive a letter and do not reply, you will be placed on a “did not respond” list and will likely receive follow-up from the US Census. This could include a site visit from a census worker who will ask you to complete the census in person.

No. By law, census workers have permission to be on your property and to contact you in person.

Not likely. If you fill complete the form correctly by responding to all questions, there should be no need for follow-up.

If you responded online or over the phone and  a census worker needs to follow-up or clarify a response, they will first attempt to contact you by phone.

No. But you could receive an in-person visit if the census needs to follow-up and doesn’t have a phone number to reach you.

There is no citizenship question on the census. Everyone living in the United States should fill out the census regardless of immigration statues.

No. Census information is used solely for statistical purposes and shared only with census staff. It cannot be shared with other agencies.

Need help?

We’re Here to Assist

NeighborImpact is a designated Census Assistance Center for the 2020 Census. We are providing free access to the US Census website as part of the We Count Oregon program, a statewide initiative designed to raise awareness about the census and boost participation among Oregon’s “hard to count” populations that include rural residents, immigrants, young children and those struggling with poverty and homelessness.

Our office locations in Bend, Redmond, Madras and La Pine will all have designated workstations for you to complete the census. Our employees at each location have been trained to assist with access and basic support, as well as answers to basic questions like: how your information will be used (for statistical purposes only), whether your personal data is safe (yes), and who has access to your information (only census workers). NeighborImpact will also be conducting outreach and special events in the community to ensure everyone has access to the census.