A new report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that data on the overall impact of the CDBG and HOME Programs are limited because, among other things, such an evaluation would have to compare neighborhoods that received program assistance with those that did not. In addition, the grant programs do not represent a uniform package of activities or desired outcomes across the country, and cannot attribute differences in communities’ outcomes to the effect of a program in the absence of controls for other explanations. Still, studies that focused on specific activities have generally found that each of the programs has made positive contributions. The GAO report, entitled “HUD Has Identified Performance Measures for Its Block Grant Programs, but Information on Impact Is Limited” provides details on several such studies.
Click here to read the report.
