1990 Census: Limitations in Methods and Procedures to Include the Homeless.
Abstract
This report responds to Section 402 of Public Law 101-645, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1990, which required us to assess the methodology and procedures used by the Bureau of the Census in counting the number of homeless persons for the 1990 decennial census. This report focuses on the Bureau's Shelter and Street Night (S-Night) operation, which was the primary effort designed to include selected components of the homeless population in the census. The Bureau's procedures called for counting and gathering basic demographic data from all persons except those in uniform or engaged in obvious money-making activities other than begging and panhandling. S-Night was not designed and did not provide a complete count of the nation's homeless population. S-Night was designed to count selected components of the homeless--those persons in pre-identified shelters and visible at designated street and other locations. Other persons who may have been homeless were counted through other census efforts and were not included in the S-Night counts. The number of persons who might be considered homeless and who were counted through other census efforts cannot be fully identified.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 30, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA292487
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office