American Housing Survey - National (AHS-N) and Metropolitan (AHS-MS)

Form AHSB26/66(L) – Incoming New Housing Unit

(1/3/07)

Dear Resident:

I am writing to ask for your help with an important survey that the U.S. Census Bureau is conducting, called the American Housing Survey. In a few days, a Census Bureau field representative will contact you. He or she will show you an official identification card and provide you with her/his name and interviewer code to confirm employment with the Census Bureau. The field representative will ask you questions about your home and your household. Some of the topics covered include the number of rooms, heating and cooling equipment, and the cost of housing. We have enclosed a work sheet with this letter. Please fill it out in advance so that you can complete the survey more easily. The Census Bureau needs your help to collect accurate data so that policymakers can assess the quality of current government programs and better plan for the future.

The Census Bureau chose your address, not you personally, as part of a randomly selected sample. Because this is a sample survey, your answers represent not only your home but also thousands of other homes like yours. For this reason, your cooperation in this voluntary survey will be a distinct service to our country. You may decline to answer any or all questions, but each item not answered lessens the quality of the final results. We need to interview every home in our sample to get a complete picture of the housing situation across the country.

We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code. Section 9 of this law requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential. We may use this information only for statistical purposes. Every Census Bureau employee, from the Director to the field representative who conducts the interview, has taken an oath to abide by this law and is subject to a jail term, a fine, or both, if she or he discloses any information that could identify you or your household.

I have included answers to the most frequently asked questions on the other side of this letter. If you would like further information, contact the Census Bureau by writing or calling the office below or visiting our web site.

Regional Director

U.S. Census Bureau

1211 North 8^th Street

Kansas City, KS 66101-2129

Telephone: 1-800-728-4748

<www.census.gov/hhes/www/ahs.html>

Thank you for your cooperation. I am grateful for your help.

Sincerely,

Charles Louis Kincannon

Director

Enclosure

Phone the office above to arrange a Spanish language interview.

(To Be Displayed In Spanish.)

Si desea que la entrevista sea en español, favor de comunicarse a la Oficina Regional indicada anteriormente.

WHAT IS THIS SURVEY ALL ABOUT?

The American Housing Survey provides up-to-date information on the size and composition of the housing inventory. As the country grows, so does its demand for housing. There is a great need for information about the types of homes in which people are now living, the characteristics of these homes, as well as the costs of running and maintaining them.

Information from the survey helps to measure the changes in our housing supply, resulting from losses and new construction. It measures the structural makeup of the housing and characteristics of the occupants. The information also helps to measure the effect of various tax reform proposals.

HOW WAS I SELECTED FOR THIS SURVEY?

Actually, we chose your address, not you personally. The U.S. Census Bureau scientifically selected a sample of addresses throughout the United States. If you move away, your present address will stay in the survey, and we will interview the household that moves there.

IS THIS SURVEY AUTHORIZED BY LAW? WHAT PROTECTION DO I HAVE?

Congress requires the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to collect this information under the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983. The HUD has the authority to collect the survey data under Title 12 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) and has asked the Census Bureau to conduct the survey. The Census Bureau has the authority to collect and protect this information under Title 13 of the U.S.C. All information that individuals give to the Census Bureau is held in the strictest confidence by law (Title 13, U.S.C., Section 9). Although there are no penalties for not answering, each missing answer makes the national figures on housing less accurate.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

We expect it will take about 30 minutes for you to provide this information, but it may be somewhat shorter or longer, depending on your circumstances. If you have any comments about this survey or have recommendations for reducing its length, please send them to the Director, Division of Housing and Demographic Analysis, Office of Policy, Development, and Research, Office of Economic Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington,

DC 20410. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number for the American Housing Survey is 2528-0017. This number confirms that we have approval from OMB to conduct this survey. Approval for the survey expires on March 31, 2008.

I THOUGHT THAT THE CENSUS BUREAU OPERATED ONLY EVERY TEN YEARS WHEN IT COUNTED PEOPLE. WHAT IS THE CENSUS BUREAU DOING NOW?

Besides the decennial census, which we conduct every ten years, we collect many different kinds of statistics through other censuses and surveys. We conduct other censuses regularly, including the censuses of business and manufactures and the census of state and local governments. In addition, we collect data on a monthly basis to provide current information on topics, such as unemployment rates, retail and wholesale trade, various manufacturing activities, and new housing construction, as well as yearly surveys on business, manufacturing, governments, family income, health, and education. Most cases in the American Housing Survey are visited every two years. A small group in some large metropolitan areas are scheduled to be interviewed every 6 to 8 years. Both surveys provide information on the attributes and conditions of homes.