The body of this report has three parts. The introduction (Chapter 1) explains the background and approach of this report, specifically discussing the procedural and questionnaire changes affecting the 1997 American Housing Survey data on which the report is based and their impact on estimates of worst case needs. Chapter 2 summarizes statistical data from HUD analyses of worst case needs, documenting the major findings. Chapter 3 explores the implications of the findings for important policy decisions at the Federal, State, and local levels.