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Enumerating Persons Experiencing Homelessness in the 2010 Census: Results from the Service Based Enumeration

*Diane F Barrett, Census Bureau 

Keywords: Homeless, Shelters, Person Unduplication

The 2010 Census Service Based Enumeration operation provided people experiencing homelessness an opportunity to be included in the census by conducting the enumeration at emergency or transitional shelters, soup kitchens, regularly scheduled mobile food vans and targeted non-sheltered outdoor locations in the United States and Puerto Rico. The Service Based Enumeration operation was conducted over a three day period, and as a result, it was possible to enumerate people at an emergency or transitional shelter and a soup kitchen and/or regularly scheduled mobile food van. It was also possible for a person who was enumerated at these locations to fill out a Be Counted Form. For these reasons, an “unduplication” of this population was performed.

This paper will provide an overview of the number of persons counted as well as the number of locations visited by type of location. It will also discuss those persons who were enumerated at soup kitchens and regularly scheduled mobile food vans but were tabulated at their usual place of residence. Finally, the paper will summarize the results of the unduplication efforts for persons who may have been enumerated at more than one location.