This historical publication was produced by Abt Associates Inc. under contract with HUD to determine a standard for housing quality in a direct cash assistance program. The authors consider what kinds of housing quality requirements should be specified and how and by whom they should be administered. They conclude that there should be minimal decency requirements as opposed to higher standards, such as amenities, and provide a general outline of what reasonable occupancy and structure standards may look like. The paper also studies the prevalence, types, and degree of enforcement of existing codes and includes an appendix with descriptions and comparisons of a sample of codes.

This report is part of the collection of scanned historical documents available to the public.