Posted To:

Statistics on building permits and housing starts increased slightly in January according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and there was a substantial increase in the number of new homes that reached completion during the month. Building permits for privately owned housing units were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 in January, 0.7 percent higher than the downwardly revised December figure of 671,000 and 19.0 percent higher than one year earlier when 568,000 permits were issued. The number of permits issued in December was originally estimated at 679,000. Permits were issued for the construction of single family houses at the rate of 445,000, 0.9 percent above the revised December rate of 441,000 (originally estimated at 444,000...()