An effort is under way locally to begin counting the population for the 2010 United States Census.

The Ventura County census office opened in the Baxter building in the Thousand Oaks portion of Westlake Village last October. The 2,000-square-foot office houses 40 employees and will serve as a base for more than 1,000 workers in the field, said office manager Ana Lugo.

“Data stewardship is our No. 1 goal here,” Lugo said. “The office setup has to be the same all across the nation so that you can literally walk into any census office and find the same setup.”

Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census is a government-run program that seeks to count the nationwide population. Conducted every 10 years, the information obtained is used to establish legislative districts and the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives.

It helps determine the allocation of $400 billion in federal funding to communities for public health, education, transportation and neighborhood projects.

“Community planners and the government rely on the information for critical social services, everything that affects our quality of life in the community,” Lugo said. “It will be useful for the next 10 years of planning.”

The 2010 form is the shortest in history, Lugo said. In prior census years, every eighth or ninth household was sent a long form containing about 20 questions. The form all households will receive in mailboxes in early March has 10 questions that take about 10 minutes to answer, Lugo said.

Residents are asked to complete the forms promptly and return them by mail in the postage-paid envelopes provided. Households that don’t return their forms by the end of April will receive phone calls and visits from census takers who will take the information in person. Areas with high concentrations of Spanish-speaking residents may receive bilingual forms.

“People living in shelters, households with multiple families or those displaced by natural disaster or the economy all need to provide this information,” Lugo said.

Lugo stressed the importance of returning completed forms. It’s expensive to send representatives house to house to collect the information, Lugo said.

“If we get the forms, you won’t have to have someone calling you on the phone or knocking on your door,” Lugo said.

To remind and encourage the public to return their forms, National Census Day will be observed on April 1.

“You’ll see lots of advertisements and public service announcements as well as community leaders, schools and faith-based groups creating awareness to make sure everyone’s mailing back their form,” Lugo said.

Demographic data results must be on President Obama’s desk by December, Lugo said.

Among the questions on the form are how many people are living in the home and is the home a single-family residence, an apartment or a mobile home.

When the census office receives the forms, the information is entered into a database. Only demographic information is stored, not names, Lugo said.

“We are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data,” Lugo said. “All information is safe. It cannot be used against you.”

Assistance centers offering residents help with filling out the questionnaires will be set up countywide by the end of February in high-traffic areas like shopping centers, religious institutions and schools. In addition, “Be Counted” sites will allow residents in areas with low questionnaire return rates, renters or anyone else who feels they might not be counted to fill out a form.

Between now and the end of April, about 1,400 employees will be hired through the Westlake office, which will remain in operation through September. A large labor pool is necessary because of the temporary nature of the work, Lugo said.

“It’s harder to retain people because this is not a permanent job, which is why it’s so important to have consistent training throughout the region,” Lugo said.

The office is still searching for workers. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, provide identification and take a test. Sample tests are available on the U.S. Census website.

For more information, call (805) 277-2060.