Improving Performance with Intergovernmental Grants - Lessons from the Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program

The authors share findings from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) program that inform an in-depth examination of the federal government’s largest discretionary grant program intended to reduce homelessness. The research identifies HUD’s multi-pronged strategies that combine performance measures and capacity building supports to focus grant recipients on achieving national goals. These strategies provide a menu of smart practices that can be used by other federal agencies that administer intergovernmental grants.

This report builds on the Center’s long record of research on performance reporting and intergovernmental data sharing, including Helping Governments Prepare For Future Crises: Using Metrics to Address Transformational Events, by Karen Kunz and Scott Pattison; Federal Grants Management: Improving Outcomes, by Shelley Metzenbaum; and Silo-Busting: The Challenges and Successes of Intergovernmental Data Sharing, by Jane Wiseman.

We hope you find this report helpful in working to improve effective performance management for federal grant programs that help states and localities to address critical social needs.