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Buildings perform a key function in communities. Many of the other community functions rely on buildings to support the services they provide--police and fire stations support emergency response, hospitals support public health, schools support education, factories, and office buildings support businesses and the economy, and houses support employees and citizens. The safety, sustainability, and resilience of a community’s building stock has a direct correlation to the community’s overall resilience.

The Buildings Benchmark covers all occupiable structures in a community including new and existing buildings and both residential and non-residential/commercial buildings. This includes what may often be characterized as institutional and industrial buildings. The Buildings Benchmark focuses on the regulatory aspects of assuring the safety and resilience of the physical structures and not the policies associated with the provision of housing and the associated socio-economic factors--this topic is covered in the Housing Benchmark. Considered another way, the Buildings Benchmark is primarily focused on the activities of a code department or building department whereas the Housing Benchmark is focused on the functions associated with a housing authority or housing department.