Difficult Census

The quality of the US census may be undermined because of rising numbers of people living in garages, tents, basements and motels as the financial crisis deepens, key organisations working with the Census Bureau have warned.[FT]

Because the census is used to distribute both representation and federal funding, the under-counting of those most in need could seriously impact the ability to help people who have fallen off the radar screen. Apparently, the stimulus bill does increase funding for the more difficult counting that goes beyond the form sent through the mail.