EconoIndicators

Housing Starts At a Glance
Seasonally Adjusted

• Housing Starts: 975,000
• Monthly Change: Down 3.3%
• Year-to-year Change: Down 32.1%
• 1-Family Monthly Change: Down 1%
• Housing Completions: 1,132,000
• Monthly Change: Up 11.6%
• Year-to-year Change: Down 26.9%
• 1-Family Monthly Change: Up 8.9%
• Building Permits: 969,000
• Monthly Change: Down 1.3%
• Year-to-year Change: Down 36.3%
• 1-Family Monthly Change: Down 4%

Technorati Tags: housing, starts, new, residential, construction

NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION IN MAY 2008
The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced the following new residential
construction statistics for May 2008:
BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 969,000.
This is 1.3 percent (±1.2%) below the revised April rate of 982,000 and is 36.3 percent (±1.3%) below the revised May 2007 estimate
of 1,522,000.
Single-family authorizations in May were at a rate of 623,000; this is 4.0 percent (±1.5%) below the April figure of 649,000.
Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 314,000 in May.
HOUSING STARTS
Privately-owned housing starts in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 975,000. This is 3.3 percent (±10.7%)* below the
revised April estimate of 1,008,000 and is 32.1 percent (±5.1%) below the revised May 2007 rate of 1,436,000.
Single-family housing starts in May were at a rate of 674,000; this is 1.0 percent (±9.9%)* below the April figure of 681,000. The
May rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 280,000.
HOUSING COMPLETIONS
Privately-owned housing completions in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,132,000. This is 11.6 percent (±11.8%)*
above the revised April estimate of 1,014,000, but is 26.9 percent (±6.4%) below the revised May 2007 rate of 1,549,000.
Single-family housing completions in May were at a rate of 869,000; this is 8.9 percent (±12.2%)* above the April figure of 798,000.
The May rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 248,000.

Housing Starts - May 2008 [PDF]

Housing Starts - May 2008 [Excel]

Source: Department of Commerce, Census Bureau