RALEIGH — Most people will receive Census forms in the mail this week, but three Wake County groups have already conducted a census study of their own, and Tuesday they released their results.

Their goal was to determine where the community needs to focus efforts to improve life for Wake County residents.

The year-long study showed the number of Hispanics living in Wake county increased by 133 percent between 1990 and 1997.

The study also revealed a lot about the homeless population in Wake County. More than 37 percent are families, including children. And 80 percent have jobs.

The report shows the main reason many are homeless is because they cannot afford a place to live. Most of these families can only afford a maximum rent of $375 per month. The average two-bedroom apartment in Wake County is $725 dollars.

A forum is being held at the McKimmon Center to address these issues.

Wake County Human Services is already using data from this report to reshape their program this year, and officials are hoping other organizations will do the same.