Defining success : a distinction between inputs and outputs of successful public housing projects

Public housing across the United States differs greatly in physical form, construction quality, and reception by the community, among myriad other variables. This reports examines what successful public housing looks like, and what characteristics make certain public housing projects more successful than others. There is a great deal of thought and literature predicting this success. However, it is rarely accompanied by a corresponding picture of the “outputs” of successful public housing. Assessment measures presented in existing literature and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s publications do not provide a thorough metric by which to measure public housing success on a project-by-project basis. This report examines the existing metrics—both explicit and inferred—and assesses their suitability for this purpose. Finally, it compiles indicators of success from various sources and lobbies for a comprehensive success metric at an individual public housing project level.