The front entrance of the Paso Robles library and city hall.
Photo by City of Paso Robles.

Census Questionnaire Assistance Center to Open Locally This Month

Author: Administrative Office
Date: 3/4/2020 2:41 PM

The local Census Questionnaire Assistance Center will open on March 12 at the Paso Robles City Library and will be open through April 25.

With Census Day just one month away (April 1), the County of San Luis Obispo is preparing to open a local center to help residents with 2020 Census questionnaires.

The local Census Questionnaire Assistance Center will open on March 12 at the Paso Robles City Library at 1000 Spring Street in Paso Robles and will be open through April 25.

“Our local communities will directly benefit from a complete count of all people living here, as it helps us get federal funds for education, health care, job training, transportation and other vital services based on the census numbers,” said County Administrative Analyst Kristin Eriksson, who has been working with local Complete Count Committee to get the word out about the importance of the 2020 Census.

The 2020 Census counts every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Any person who lives in SLO County may visit the local Census Questionnaire Assistance Center to get Census information in English or Spanish, ask questions related to the 2020 Census, and get in-person assistance to complete the Census questionnaire on Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m., on Fridays from 2 to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents can also receive assistance by telephone during Center operational hours by calling (805) 227-7220.

In FY 2018-19, the County of San Luis Obispo received about $92.5 million in federal funding for various programs, including public health services, child and family services, and emergency response management grants, much of which was allocated based on census information.

“Taking the census is also important if we want fair representation at the federal level of government,” Eriksson said. “The federal government uses census data to determine how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives.”

For information about and updates the County’s 2020 Census outreach efforts, visit www.slocounty.ca.gov/2020CensusOutreach. For information about the Questionnaire Assistance Centers, please call the County Administrative Office at (805) 781-5011.