Community Chat

[Caffeina]

Some also receive the American Community Survey, in addition to the census form. I wonder if it could be that.

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/acs-and-census.html 

[Kachina624]

I received only the original which I did immediately.  I haven't received anything else from them.

[SharkE]

Be careful, fake documents always in mail.

Don't give out SS numbers, etc.

Scammers are even trying to get people's stimulus checks and unemployment information trying to grab the 600 they were getting.

Nothing these people won't try to cheat other people out of. Beats working.

[noodleann]

I've just gone through the 20 pages of the American  Community Survey. The blurb on the census website says, ". Local communities depend on information from the American Community Survey, as well as the 2020 Census, to decide where schools, highways, hospitals, and other important services are needed."

Sounds good, right? So why are the questions about race and ethnicity, age, DOB, gender (just two choices), the nature ofnthe home (apartment, mobile, house, etc.), when it was built, room count and bedroom count, acreage, value of agricultural products from land for last year, number of vehicles kept at the home, principal fuel used in the home, last month's cost of electricity, gas, other fuel, sewer, and water used in the home,  whether anyone living there has SNAP benefits, the rent, how much the home would sell for if it was for sale, the property taxes, the annual insurance costs for the home, the mortgage payment, whether the mortgage includes insurance, where the person filling out the form was born, whether the person has attended school in the past 3 months, the highest educational level attained by the person, the person's major if the person has a bachelor's degree, what language other than English is spoken in the home, how well (from "not at all" to "very well") the person speaks English, where the person lived a year ago if not in the home, what medical insurance coverage the person has, questions about cognitive status and ADL, marital status and marital history, questions for women 15 to 50, recent work history, including address of work site, how the person got to work, how  many people rode in the vehicle, job search status, layoff status, the chief duties of the person in his/her job, amount of income from all sources, etc.

Whatever this is for, it ain't about parks. It's chilling to think of all of this information being collated in one place.

[Marp]

@noodleann,  it has been many years (15+/-) since I filled out a community census form but what you listed sounds very much like the information required way back then.

I see valid reasons for most of the questions.  The information is aggragated to determine the type of services that are more important for the community and which are less likely to be needed.  For example, if you live in a senior community the need for additional schools or  more roads would be less important than a new hospital.

[Spurt]

Is the American Community Survey legit?

August 21, 2019

by 

Colleen Tressler

Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Here at the FTC, we always tell people to use caution when someone they don’t know asks them for personal information. So it’s not surprising that people are asking questions about mailings and phone calls they’re getting about the American Community Survey (ACS).

The ACS is a legitimate survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which is part of the Department of Commerce. Unlike the 10-year Census, this survey runs all year, every year. The survey goes to a random sample of addresses in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Many federal, state, tribal, and local leaders use the answers to update their statistics.

If someone contacts you about the American Community Survey and you want to verify that the visit or phone call is legitimate, simply call your Census regional office.

Here’s how the ACS survey process works:

• Census sends a letter saying that your address was selected for the ACS.
• Most people then get instructions to complete the ACS online. If you don’t complete the survey, Census will send a paper questionnaire in about two weeks.
• If you still haven’t submitted the survey, you may get a call. You also may get a call if you completed the survey, but Census needs to clarify information.
• If Census can’t reach you by phone, they may send someone to your address to complete the process in person. Interviewers may visit or call after normal business hours when it’s more likely you’ll be home. The Census representative must show a photo ID with the U.S. Department of Commerce seal and an expiration date. If you ask, the interviewer will give you a supervisor’s contact information and/or the Census regional office phone number for verification.

For more information, please visit the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS page.

[Spurt]

I completed my Census form immediately on line.....I did get a follow up and thought perhaps my first didnt go through, but when I tried to complete again it confirmed that I already done it.....

[Icegoddess]

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@Marp wrote:

@noodleann,  it has been many years (15+/-) since I filled out a community census form but what you listed sounds very much like the information required way back then.

I see valid reasons for most of the questions.  The information is aggragated to determine the type of services that are more important for the community and which are less likely to be needed.  For example, if you live in a senior community the need for additional schools or  more roads would be less important than a new hospital.

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But, most of that is decided at the local or state level.  I know our number of hospitals is decided on the state level according to what they determine the need is down to the number of beds.  A hospital cannot add on, say, a maternity unit unless the state says they can.  

Schools, roads, all that is determined at the local level and based on whether they have the money to do it (aka raise your taxes).  The state does divy out money for road upgrades and most of that work is planned years in advance and still we have to fight for it.

[gabstoomuch]

@NickNackIf you did it online, take whatever you are getting in the mail today and staple a note to it writing "done online, and the date" (if you remember it) and mail it back to them in the return envelope.

Could be a computer glitch, seeing that they were sent out just as the pandemic was coming into focus. Many people were just getting panicked about what was going on in the world and the Census was the last thing on their mind.  I am sure that department is a mess by now, between workers not working, or working from home, maybe your online response just didn't get checked as completed.

Whatever, the problem is on their end. You did it, they will check their computers and figure it out. If your online info did not get all the way through to the end, they will contact you and ask you to redo it. But as someone above said, beware of scam forms. I would not do it any other way than online on their secure website.

At least if you return it with "done" written on it they will stop sending mail until they figure you out.

[noodleann]

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@Marp wrote:

@noodleann,  it has been many years (15+/-) since I filled out a community census form but what you listed sounds very much like the information required way back then.

I see valid reasons for most of the questions.  The information is aggragated to determine the type of services that are more important for the community and which are less likely to be needed.  For example, if you live in a senior community the need for additional schools or  more roads would be less important than a new hospital.

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No, they don't need all that data. I believe in aggregated data like I believe in the Tooth Fairy.