[WackySam]

Do what I did- throw it in the garbage.

[Twotone]

I haven’t seen this survey, but my health insurance company has twice sent a survey they say will only take 20 minutes to complete. It ended up in the round file each time. The last one said they would call if it wasn’t returned. So far I haven’t heard from them. If I do, I’ll be hanging up on them!

[gorush]

I’m not willing to comply...but that’s easy for me to say.

[Pollster1]

Harmless if you do not respond, although they will contact you repeatedly. Harmless if you intentionally misunderstand every question: You pay zero in utilities, since your wife writes the check; you have no bathrooms with running water, since all the faucets are shut off. I had a great time with it, and they never harassed me about my answers, except for race. The race and ethnicity of every person in my household is “HUMAN”, the only race relevant to our government overseers.

[freedumb2003]

Lie like an SOB!

Have fun, use your imagination.

[faithhopecharity]

if it will clog up your toilet drain, then you may have to settle with simply shredding it

[Agamemnon]

Just tell them you can't recall, and you can't find paperwork. It worked for Hillary Clinton!

Seriously though, there should be a statute cited on the request you got. Read the statute and see if what they are asking is theirs to ask by statutory authority. If there is no statute cited, it may not even be from the government at all and might be a scam. (Like the gov't isn't already a scam, I know.)

You could simply "forget" to respond to the point they have to pick up the phone. Make them call you. Once you have them on the phone they'll get bored with your "I don't know" and "I can't recall."

What's the penalty for failure to respond? None probably. There's none for the 10-year census, just a nasty person waving an ugly stick at you. I made them interview me personally, because I refused to send in the form. I told the census taker how many people lived at my home, ages, and occupation and confirmed it all with the address. Any intrusive questions I simply responded with "You don't need to know that."

I am not aware of any statutory authority describing what you have, although my business got a Commerce Department census that wasn't all that intrusive to answer. Did it on line in fact.

FReegards!

[grellis]

Ignore it and continue to ignore it. That’s what I did—took over two years but I get absolutely nothing now.

[yldstrk]

“Legally expedient” means a legal short cut. I say it is none of their beewax

[outofsalt]

Must watch video! (after fifteen second commercial)
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=christopher+walken+census+taker+video+youtube&view=detail&mid=1E6598E87C8EB32D32571E6598E87C8EB32D3257&first=0&FORM=NVPFVR

[sarasmom]

Don’t answer it. Just say no, by ignoring it.

1. It might be a sophisticated scam operation.
2. Absent your living in government provided housing,you are under no obligation to participate in such a survey.
3. Contact your local Sheriff, District Congressional Rep, or your state Senator and request them to tell the agency involved to leave you alone, and take you off their mailing list.

Several “agencies” are getting pretty annoying with their new thirst for invasive and time consuming “surveys”.

Only the official national ten year Census Survey is mandated by law.

[Ken H]

Just write in big bold letters:

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

[Ray76]

Throw it out. “I never got it”

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

I threw both mine in the garbage. They can go to hell.

[upchuck]

Throw it out.

Enough low info voters will fill one out to satisfy their need. Don’t encourage them.

When they harass me I always say, “I filled it out and mailed it. If you didn’t receive it, I suggest you contact the US Postal Service.”

[RightGeek]

Some responders have mentioned the American Community Survey which is the replacement for the old long census form. You say you have the American Housing Survey which is completely different. Wikipedia has a brief summary but basically:

The American Housing Survey (AHS)[1] is a statistical survey funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the largest regular national housing sample survey in the United States and contains information on the number and characteristics of U.S. housing units as well as the households that occupy those units.

As I look at the Federal Register for the 2013 American Housing Survey, I see the magic words: Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

I suggest you toss it.

[liberalh8ter]

Did it come to you certified mail and did you sign for it? If not, you never got it.

[OldMissileer]

Several years ago I received one of those.

I shredded it.

Also, when I received the last Census I only filled out the Constitutionally required questions at the beginning of the form. Have never heard from the SOB’s.

[TurboZamboni]

it says it takes 45 minutes to complete. (and they ain’t paying you to do it.)

I just filled in random circles an mailed it. I don’t have time to look up all the records for the answers they want.

from what I read in their literature, it’s to help Uncle Scam determine how to dole out the free cheese.