NLIHC has pointed to a recent university report, as well asHUD's own materials, to highlight the gross inaccuracy of Jackson'sstatement. In its State of the Nation's Housing Report, the JointCenter for Housing Studies of Harvard University, concludes that,"In addition to widespread affordability problems, crowding is onthe increase, some 2.5 million to 3.5 million people are homelessat some point in the year, and nearly two million households stilllive in severely inadequate units."

Further supporting NLIHC's contention that Jackson's remark iserroneous, HUD finds in its most recent Worst Case Housing Needsreport, released in January 2004, that: "Shortages remained mostsevere for units affordable to renters with extremely low incomes,with only 42 units affordable and available in 2001 for every 100renters with incomes below 30% of area median income. The number ofunits affordable to renters with incomes below 50% of AMI, however,fell by a statistically significant 4% between 1999 and 2001, thusslightly worsening shortages of units affordable in this incomerange."

NLIHC and other housing organizations do not intend to let thestatement slide. "We'll be sending him a letter saying 'here arethe facts, and how would you reconcile that with what you said?', "NLIHC president Sheila Crowley tells GlobeSt.com. She adds that sheand her fellow signatories do not expect a response.