U.S. Housing Starts at Highest Levels Since 2007

According to a new report from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Department, led by a surge in multifamily production, total housing starts rose 12.3 percent in August 2019 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.36 million units from an upwardly revised reading in July 2019. This is the highest level since May 2007. The August reading of 1.36 million starts is the number of housing units builders would begin if they kept this pace for the next 12 months. Within this overall number, single-family starts increased 4.4 percent to 919,000 units. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, jumped 32.8 percent to a 445,000 pace.