This 1997 annual report on the characteristics of new housing  is  published  jointly  by  the  U.S.  Department  of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, and the U.S. Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Data are obtained from the Bureau’s Survey of Construction, Survey of  New  Mobile  Home  Placements,  and  the  Survey  of Market  Absorption.  HUD  sponsors  all  or  part  of  these surveys.