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Preserving Housing: <br /> • A Best Practices Review <br /> A CHECKLIST FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE <br /> This checklist contains performance measures that cities and local housing <br /> organizations may use to evaluate their housing preservation efforts. We <br /> used some of these measures as the basis for developing questions for our two <br /> surveys and to develop a model of best practices. The measures also enabled us to <br /> identify cities and housing organizations with best practices in preserving <br /> housing. <br /> The next section discusses the importance of measuring performance in <br /> preserving housing. After that, we list some of the performance measures <br /> identified during the study. We present them in a checklist format for cities and <br /> housing organizations that want to assess their performance. Although we <br /> specifically discuss"cities"below,the information applies to other local housing <br /> organizations as well. <br /> THE VALUE OF PERFORMANCE <br /> MEASUREMENT <br /> Performance measures help cities determine whether they are meeting their goals <br /> of preserving housing and how well they are accomplishing their objectives. <br /> Assessing performance entails collecting and analyzing data on impact, <br /> efficiency,and cost-effectiveness of housing preservation activities. <br /> Performance data enable cities to make informed decisions about modifying or <br /> enhancing their housing preservation strategies. For example,trend data on the <br /> percentage of housing units that are substandard,the number of housing units <br /> rehabilitated,the level of unmet housing rehabilitation needs, and program costs, <br /> for example,can help a city determine how well it is meeting its objective of <br /> improving its existing housing stock. Trend data can also help cities plan <br /> strategically for their community's future housing needs. <br /> Even though performance measurement seeks to improve cost-effectiveness in <br /> preserving housing,measuring performance has costs of its own. Resources are <br /> needed to measure performance,which requires local policymakers' support. <br /> Each step in performance measurement—identifying goals and objectives, <br /> deciding on benchmarks to measure performance,recording the necessary data, <br /> and analyzing the data—requires an investment of resources in the form of <br /> personnel time as well as data-collection tools. Furthermore,performance <br /> measurement is not a one-time occurrence. Performance measurement is most <br /> helpful when it is conducted periodically,allowing comparisons over time. <br /> • <br />