2010 Census Address Canvassing Plan

The Census Bureau plans to conduct the Address Canvassing operation for the 2010 Census under the generic clearance for the Master Address File (MAF) and Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) update activities OMB number 0607-0809.

In order to conduct the decennial census, the Census Bureau needs the address and physical location of each living quarters. Address Canvassing is an operation to improve and refine the Census Bureau’s Address List of living quarters (LQs) before enumeration activities begin in 2010.

The U.S. Census Bureau will conduct the Address Canvassing operation throughout the United States and Puerto Rico beginning March 30, 2009 through July 17, 2009. The operation will be conducted on a wave schedule within this time frame.

Using hand held computers (HHCs) listers will travel around assigned census blocks in a geographic area and look for places where people live, stay, or could live or could stay. Listers compare what they discover on the ground to what is already on the Census Bureau’s Address List. Based on their findings, listers will update the list as necessary. At the same time, the listers will update maps to reflect what is on the ground.

Since Address Canvassing uses HHCs to update the Address List and maps, there are no paper forms used in the process to record that information. When a lister does make contact with a respondent during Address Canvassing, they will ask questions necessary to complete the required entries for those living quarters. The questions asked could include the following: 1) What is your address? 2) What is your mailing address? 3) Are there any additional places in this building where people live or could live? If yes, 4) what are the addresses of the additional places in this building?

We expect to attempt contact with an estimated 143 million LQs for a total of 2,383,333 million hours of respondent burden. This is based on an average of one minute per LQ. The increase to the estimated workload is due to programs such as the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA).

All information that identifies individuals will be held in strict confidence according to the provisions of Title 13, United States Code, Section 9. When contact is made, the lister will provide a Confidentiality Notice that provides information on the confidential nature of Census Bureau data. This notice explains that any information given to the Census Bureau will be held in strict confidence. None of the questions asked during the listing are of a sensitive nature and there is no cost to respondents other than that of their time to respond.

The contact person for questions regarding this operation is:

Linda Pike

Team Leader

Address Coverage Operations Branch

Washington, DC 20233

(301) 763-3205