The Census Bureau has launched a massive field operation to kick off the 2010 Census. More than 140,000 temporary U.S. Census Bureau workers are now verifying addresses across the nation as the first major field operation of the 2010 Census began is underway. It is called address verification or address canvassing. Address verification is a critically important step to assure that every housing unit receives a census questionnaire in March 2010. The Kansas City Region includes 6 states where approximately 11,000 census takers will verify and update more than 10 million housing units. Address verification will take approximately six to eight weeks to complete. “With this operation, the 2010 Census literally hits the roads and the streets. We go to all communities and neighborhoods to make sure that we have correct addresses,” said Dennis Johnson, Regional Director. “This is the first publicly visible activity of the 2010 Census. Census workers are not in uniforms, they will have official identification and they’ll use hand-held computers equipped with GPS to increase geographic accuracy. We’ve also sent notices about this operation to law enforcement agencies. ” Census workers may knock on doors to verify addresses and inquire about additional living quarters on certain premises. Workers may ask people in some neighborhoods a few simple questions about housing units. All information collected including addresses is kept confidential and protected by law. By law the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with any other government agency. No court of law or law enforcement agency can find out respondents’ answers. All Census Bureau employees – including temporary workers – take an oath for life to keep census information confidential. “The primary goal of the Census Bureau is to count everyone living in the country, count them once, and count them in the right place. Census data helps inform the process of reapportioning seats to the U.S. House of Representatives,” said Dennis Johnson. “Plus, over $300 billion in federal dollars get distributed every year to state and local governments based on census data. It’s essential to get this first step right and that’s why we’re out in neighborhoods all over the region and the country.”