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Enumerating Persons Experiencing Homelessness in the 2010 Census: Enumeration Methodology for Service Based Locations

*Louis R Avenilla, Census Bureau 

Keywords: Homeless, Shelters, Non-Sheltered, Methodology

The Service Based Enumeration operation was designed to count a segment of the population of people experiencing homelessness in the 2010 decennial in the United States and Puerto Rico. This operation was conducted over a three day period from March 29 to 31, 2010 and consisted of a two-day enumeration of people at service locations such as emergency and transitional shelters, soup kitchens, and regularly scheduled mobile food vans stops, plus one nighttime count of persons living in non-sheltered locations such as parks, alleys, under bridges, or car and tent encampments. In all cases, Census enumerators worked in teams in order to ensure safety and coverage.

This paper will provide an overview of the methodology used to count individuals at the different Service-Based locations and at targeted non-sheltered outdoor locations. In addition it will summarize the enumeration preparation and actual enumeration procedures.