Monday, March 22, 2010

Can Associations Restrict Access to Census Workers??

Once again, the government is ramping up efforts to tally the country’s population. With the 2010 census underway, the U.S. Census Bureau is asking Condo Associations and HOA's to help them reach as many residents as possible. Since participation in the census is a federal obligation for all U.S. Residents, associations need to determine how census workers will gain access, especially in secured communities.

The U.S. Census Bureau has made it well known that their Census workers are given carte blanche when it comes to gaining access and possibly gaining repeated access in order to fully complete their responsibilities. Therefore, Associations cannot deny access to any Census worker who has shown proper identification.

In order to comply with federal regulations, make sure your property manager or any security staff understand that access must be granted to Census workers. That includes allowing them access to secured buildings and any apartments they request. They are allowed to knock on doors, ring doorbells, use call boxes, etc. Also, there may be times when the Census workers must return to the building to attempt resident contact again. If Census workers cannot locate occupants, it is within their right to ask property managers and associations for occupancy information and resident contact information. While you’re not expected to supply the information immediately, you should provide the requested information within a reasonable amount of time.

But how do you know if the census worker is legitimate? All census workers will be issued a census badge, which property managers may ask to see. When in doubt, contact the nearest Regional Census Center to verify a census workers status.

Associations should expect to see Census workers after the April 1st deadline, in which all residents are required to have returned their mailed questionnaires. Expected in-person visits are scheduled from May through August of this year.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for share this fantastic and useful post regarding Associations Restrict Access to Census Workers. This post is very useful for national and multinational companies.
    HOA Management

    ReplyDelete