Privately-owned housing starts in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,287,000, -3.7% percent below the revised March estimate of 1,336,000, but +10.5% above the April 2017 rate of 1,165,000. The data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that single-family housing starts in April were at a rate of 894,000, + 0.1% above the revised March figure of 893,000. The April rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 374,000.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Washington, D.C. said the three-month moving average for single-family starts reached a new post-recession high (896,000), which is significant because this metric reduces short-term fluctuations and identifies longer-term trends.
