Housing starts in December fell 11.2% in December from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,078,000, 10.9% below the December 2017 rate of 1,210,000, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.
Single‐family housing starts in December were at a rate of 758,000, 6.7% below the revised November figure of 812,000. The December rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 302,000.
An estimated 1,246,600 housing units were started in 2018, 3.6% above the 2017 figure of 1,203,000.
Building permits in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,326,000, 0.3% above the revised November rate of 1,322,000 and is 0.5% above the December 2017 rate of 1,320,000. Single‐family authorizations in December were at a rate of 829,000, 2.2% below the revised November figure of 848,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 460,000 in December.
An estimated 1,310,700 housing units were authorized by building permits in 2018. This is 2.2% above the 2017 figure of 1,282,000.
Privately‐owned housing completions in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,097,000, 2.7% below the revised November estimate of 1,128,000 and 8.4% below the December 2017 rate of 1,197,000. Single‐family housing completions in December were at a rate of 790,000; 0.1% above the revised November rate of 789,000. The December rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 296,000.
An estimated 1,191,700 housing units were completed in 2018, 3.4% above the 2017 figure of 1,152,900.
