Housing Starts Increase +5.7% in April

Privately-owned housing starts in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,235,000, +5.7% above the revised March estimate of 1,168,000 but -2.5% percent below the April 2018 rate of 1,267,000.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, single-family housing starts in April were at a rate of 854,000, +6.2% above the revised March figure of 804,000.
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,296,000,  0.6% percent  above the revised March rate of 1,288,000, but -5% below the April 2018 rate of 1,364,000.  Single-family authorizations in April were at a rate of 782,000, -4.2% below the revised March figure of 816,000.