2009 HUD Partners Surveys

1. Pre-survey notification letter.
Silber & Associates Letterhead
Inside address
Dear (Salutation) (Last Name):
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development asked a team consisting
of the Urban Institute (a non-profit, nonpartisan research organization in Washington, DC)
and Silber and Associates (an independent survey research company in Clarksville, MD) to
confidentially survey people and organizations from across the country who work with
HUD, receive support from HUD, or are regulated by HUD—to assess satisfaction with
HUD. Accordingly, we’re contacting local chief elected officials and directors of local
community development departments, public housing agencies, fair housing agencies and
organizations, and non-profit housing organizations to ask about HUD’s performance.
You’ve been chosen as someone from whom we’d like to hear. Next week you will
receive a short questionnaire from us about HUD. Please take a few minutes to respond.
Your input is extremely important to our effort.
In the meantime, if you would like further information about the survey, please call
Silber & Associates toll free at 1-888-SILBER-1 (1-888-745-2371) or e-mail
[email protected].
Sincerely,

Bohne G. Silber

This survey has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, under
control number 2538-0116, which expires on 02/29/2012. Public reporting burden for this survey is estimated to average 16 minutes
per response, including the time for reviewing instructions and completing the questionnaire. Participation in the survey is voluntary
and your responses will be treated confidentially. HUD will use the collected information to evaluate its service to and relations with
its partners in order to help both HUD and its partners effectively carry out programs.

2. First questionnaire, cover letter.
Silber & Associates Letterhead
Inside address
Dear (Salutation) (Last Name):
HUD officials need to know and you’re in a position to tell them: Is HUD doing a good job?
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development asked a team consisting
of the Urban Institute (a non-profit, nonpartisan research organization in Washington, DC)
and Silber & Associates (an independent survey research company in Clarksville, MD) to
confidentially survey people and organizations from across the country who work with
HUD, receive support from HUD, or are regulated by HUD—to assess satisfaction with
HUD. Accordingly, we’re contacting local chief elected officials and directors of local
community development departments, public housing agencies, fair housing agencies and
organizations, and non-profit housing organizations to ask about HUD’s performance., and
non-profit housing organizations to ask if HUD’s performance is good or bad. .
Please help us. The enclosed questionnaire is short. We worked hard to design it to
take only a few minutes of your time. The questions are meant to be answered by the
person in charge—e.g., the Mayor, the Director. But if that is simply not possible, please
direct the questionnaire to someone who can speak authoritatively on behalf of that person.
Be assured that the information provided will be combined with all other answers,
and that neither your name, organization, community, or any other identifying information
will be passed along to HUD or others, or cited or reported in any way. We have placed a
number on the questionnaire for survey control purposes, so that we know if we need to
send a reminder or call you if you haven’t sent the questionnaire back. That’s to keep the
survey scientific. The number will be removed when we receive the questionnaire.
Please mail your completed questionnaire in the envelope provided by (date).
Thank you in advance for recognizing the importance of this survey and for taking a
few minutes to fill it out. If you would like further information about it, please call Silber &
Associates toll free at 1-888-SILBER-1 (1-888-745-2371) or e-mail
[email protected].
Sincerely

Bohne G. Silber
The survey has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, under
control number 2538-0116, which expires on 02/29/2012. Public reporting burden for this survey is estimated to average 16 minutes
per response, including the time for reviewing instructions and completing the questionnaire. Participation in the survey is voluntary
and your responses will be treated confidentially. HUD will use the collected information to evaluate its service to and relations with
its partners in order to help both HUD and its partners effectively carry out programs.

3.

Reminder #1
SILBER & ASSOCIATES
P. O. Box 651
Clarksville, Maryland 21029-0651
URGENT RESPONSE APPRECIATED

Recently Silber & Associates sent you a survey soliciting your opinions of
HUD’s performance. Response to date has been very good. But we still
haven’t received your opinions and we don’t want to leave them out.
Your feedback will help to identify any areas of HUD’s performance that
need improvement to better serve your needs.
If your response is in the mail on its way to us, we thank you very much.
If not, please take a few minutes to answer the survey. If you misplaced it
or have other questions, call Silber & Associates’ Survey Support Line toll
free at 1-888-SILBER-1 (1-888-745-2371), or e-mail
[email protected].
Please be assured that your responses will be treated confidentially. We
will not report your name, organization, or community to HUD. If you
have any questions about the confidentiality commitment, please call me
at Silber & Associates at (410) 531-2121, ext 11#.
We sincerely appreciate your participation in this important effort.
Bohne G. Silber

4. Reminder #2
Silber & Associates Letterhead
Inside address
Dear (Salutation) (Last Name):
Not long ago we sent you a letter and questionnaire asking you to participate in an
important survey. To date we have not heard from you, so I’m enclosing another copy of
the questionnaire. If your response is in the mail, please disregard this letter and accept my
sincerest thanks.
As I hope you are aware, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
asked the Urban Institute (a non-profit, nonpartisan research organization in Washington,
DC) and Silber & Associates (an independent survey research company in Clarksville, MD)
to confidentially survey people and organizations from across the country who work with
HUD, receive support from HUD, or are regulated by HUD—to assess satisfaction with
HUD’s performance. Is it good or bad?
We know you are very busy, but please take the time to help. Your contribution is
critical to the success of this effort. If you have not responded out of concern for
confidentiality, I can assure you that the information provided will be combined with all
other answers, and that neither your name, organization, community, or any other
identifying information will be passed along to HUD or others, or cited or reported in any
way. We have placed a number on the questionnaire for survey control purposes, so that we
know if we need to send a reminder or call you if you haven’t sent the questionnaire back.
That’s to keep the survey scientific. The number will be removed when we receive the
questionnaire.
Please return your completed questionnaire in the envelope provided by (date). If
you would like further information about the survey, or if you have questions about
confidentiality or any other aspect of the survey, please call Silber & Associates toll free at 1888-SILBER-1 (1-888-745-2371) or e-mail [email protected].
Sincerely,

Bohne G. Silber
The survey has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, under
control number 2538-0116, which expires on 02/29/2012. Public reporting burden for this survey is estimated to average 16 minutes
per response, including the time for reviewing instructions and completing the questionnaire. Participation in the survey is voluntary
and your responses will be treated confidentially. HUD will use the collected information to evaluate its service to and relations with
its partners in order to help both HUD and its partners effectively carry out programs.

5. Reminder #3
Silber & Associates Letterhead
Inside address
Dear (Salutation) (Last Name):
We recently sent you several letters asking you to participate in an important survey.
Because we have not heard from you, we’re sending another copy of the questionnaire by
special carrier. We are depending on your help. If your response is in the mail, please
disregard this letter and accept our sincerest thanks.
As you are probably aware, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development asked the Urban Institute (a non-profit, nonpartisan research organization in
Washington, DC) and Silber & Associates (an independent survey research company in
Clarksville, MD) to confidentially survey people and organizations from across the country
who work with HUD, receive support from HUD, or are regulated by HUD—to assess
satisfaction with HUD’s performance. Is it good or bad?
We know you are very busy, but please take the time to help. The questionnaire is
short. If you have not responded out of concern for confidentiality, I can assure you that
the information provided will be combined with all other answers, and that neither your
name, organization, community, nor any other identifying information will be passed along
to HUD or others, or cited or reported in any way.

Please return your completed questionnaire by in the envelope provided by
(date). If you would like further information about the survey, or if you have questions

about confidentiality or any other aspect of the study, please call Silber & Associates’ Survey
Support Line toll free at 1-888-SILBER-1 (1-888-745-2371), or e-mail
[email protected].
Sincerely,

Bohne G. Silber

The survey has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, under
control number 2538-0116, which expires on 02/29/2012. Public reporting burden for this survey is estimated to average 16 minutes
per response, including the time for reviewing instructions and completing the questionnaire. Participation in the survey is voluntary
and your responses will be treated confidentially. HUD will use the collected information to evaluate its service to and relations with
its partners in order to help both HUD and its partners effectively carry out programs.

6. Fax Cover Letter, as needed

IMPORTANT FAX
The individual identified below
requested a copy of the attached survey.
Please deliver it to the addressee promptly. Thank you.

DATE:
TO:
FAX NUMBER:
FROM:
SUBJECT:

Bohne Silber
HUD Survey

This is the survey we previously sent to you by mail; we are faxing a copy at your request.
As we previously wrote, you have been selected as a person who has experience with the
U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The survey asks for your opinion
on whether or not HUD is doing a good job.
We worked hard to design it to take only a few minutes of your time. Our sample is small
so your answers make a difference. The reliability of the survey depends on your filling it
out and returning it to us. The questions are meant to be answered by the
(Mayor/Director). But if that is simply not possible, please direct this form to someone who
can speak authoritatively on behalf of the (Mayor/Director).
The survey will be analyzed by the Urban Institute (a non-profit, nonpartisan research
organization in Washington, DC) and Silber & Associates (an independent survey research
company in Clarksville, MD). Be assured that your responses will be treated confidentially.
Neither your name, organization, community, nor any other identifying information will be
passed along to HUD or others, or cited or reported in any way. Please return your

completed questionnaire by (date).

Thank you.
Please return this cover sheet along with your completed survey either by:
FAX: 410-997-5188 or
MAIL: HUD Survey, P.O. Box 651, Clarksville, MD 21029-0651
If there is a problem with this fax transmission, please call (410) 531-2121.

Thank you.

7.

Reminder #4
SILBER & ASSOCIATES
P. O. Box 651
Clarksville, Maryland 21029-0651
URGENT RESPONSE APPRECIATED

REMINDER
To date, we have not received your response to the United States
Department of Housing and Urban Development Survey of Multifamily
Housing Owners. This survey is of utmost importance to the government.
If our records are in error, or if your questionnaire is in the mail on its way
to us, we thank you very much for your participation.
If not, please take a few minutes to answer the questionnaire. If you
misplaced it or have questions about it, call Silber & Associates’ Survey
Support Line toll free at 1-888-SILBER-1 (1-888-745-2371), or e-mail
[email protected].
Please be assured that your responses will be treated confidentially. We will
not report your name, organization, or community to HUD. If you have
any questions about the confidentiality commitment, please call me at Silber
& Associates at (410) 531-2121, ext 1#.
We sincerely appreciate your participation in this important effort.
Bohne G. Silber
8.