For census purposes, enumeration of the transitory population does not include people who are experiencing homelessness and live in makeshift tents or RV encampments where they do not pay to stay.

This population is counted in a separate “group quarters” operation called Service-Based Enumeration. If a hotel is only used to shelter people who are experiencing homelessness, it will then fall under the definition of “group quarters.”

The Census Bureau has a plan and strategies to count individuals at a variety of transitory locations. Although most people living in households will get a letter with instructions on how to complete the 2020 Census questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail, individuals living in transitory locations will be interviewed in person by a census taker.