1. Your census information is confidential. Census workers are legally bound to federal confidentiality laws. Census workers can face $250,000 in fines and/or five years in prison if they violate the confidentiality laws.

2. The Census Bureau cannot share your personal information with any other local, state or federal agency. The Census Bureau provides general data to the public but it will not share your particular information with anyone else. For example, information about how many roommates you have in your home cannot be shared with your landlord or city government. Personal information such as this is protected by the confidentiality law. It is safe and required that everyone living in your home be counted on the census questionnaire.

3. The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the U.S. population. Everyone living in the United States is required to complete and return the census questionnaire.

4. Everyone is counted in the census regardless of immigration status or age.

5. There is no question on the census questionnaire about immigration status.

6. The census questionnaire does not ask for social security numbers.

7. Your participation is important because federal funding is at stake! San Francisco had an undercount of 100,000 people in the 2000 Census which led to a loss of $300 million in federal funding.

8. In San Francisco, it is estimated that an undercount in Census 2010 could result in a loss of federal funding amounting to $4000 per person per year. An undercount would lead to lost funding for programs such as Head Start, Title I Education Funding for Vocational Training, Housing, Health and Public Transportation programs.

Census questionnaires were sent out during the week of March 15, 2010 in pre-paid return envelopes. Everyone in San Francisco should return their completed questionnaires as soon as possible. For households that have not returned completed questionnaires by April 1, 2010, the Census Bureau will send its workers to those homes to follow up. To avoid home visits, aim to complete and return the questionnaire before April 1. If you need assistance with completing the questionnaire, there are multiple Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QACs) around San Francisco that can assist you in Spanish and other languages. To find QACs in San Francisco, please consult www.sfgsa.org and click on “SFGOV 2010 Census.”

Be Counted sites

A Be Counted site is a stand-alone, unstaffed space where Census information is disseminated. Residents who think they were not included on any other Census Form can pick up Questionnaires to fill out and return to the U.S. Census Bureau by mail, free of charge.  There is no staff on site to answer questions.

Mission Neighborhood Center 3111 26th Street

Insituto Familiar De La Raza 2919 Mission Street

Dolores Street Community Services 938 Valencia

Arriba Juntos 1850 Mission Street

Arab Resource and Organizing Center 522 Valencia Street

St Francis of Assisi Community Dining Room 145 Guererro Street

Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QACs)

30th Street Senior Center 225 30th St (415) 550-2237

Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center 515 Cortland Ave (415) 206-2140

Central American Resource Center 3101 Mission St (415) 642-4400

CCSF – Mission Campus 1125 Valencia St (415) 920-6001

Garfield Pool and Park 1271 Treat Street (415) 609-9652

Good Samaritan Family Resource 1294 Potrero Ave (415) 401-4235

Iglesia Santa Maria Y Santa Marta 1050 S Van Ness Ave (415) 647-2717

Mission Economic Development Agency 3505 20th St

Mission Language Vocational School 2929 19th St (415) 648-5220

Mission Neighborhood Center 362 Capp St (415) 206-7747

One Stop Center SF (Career Link) 3120 Mission St (415) 206-0460

Potrero Hill Family Resource Center 85 Turner Terrace (415) 752-4444

San Francisco Day Labor Program 3358 Cesar Chavez

St. Peter’s Catholic Church 1200 Florida St (415) 282-1176

Mission Neighborhood Health Center 240 Shotwell St

Centro Latino Community Center 1656 15th Street

Mission Hiring Hall 3042 16th Street

Centro del Pueblo 474 Valencia St

Career Link Center 3120 Mission St

Bethel Christian Church 1325 Valencia Street