The evaluation of a Federally funded housing rehabilitation program in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is used to illustrate the usefulness of low effort, formative program evaluation as a valuable tool for small and medium‐size cities. The article sets out the analytical framework as defined by the program design and the concern for evaluating the effectiveness of the programs and alternatives for increasing its impact. The evaluation uses both primary and secondary data sources in examining program performance and relies on basic statistical analysis which are well within the capabilities of most cities' planning agencie