Privately-owned housing starts in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 947,000. This is 11.9% below the revised February estimate and 36.5% below the March 2007 rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Single-family housing starts in March were at a rate of 680,000; this is 5.7 percent below the February figure of 721,000. The March rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 247,000.
Year-to-Date Percent Change
| U.S. | Northeast | Midwest | South | West | |||
| Housing Starts | -30.2 | -23.5 | U.S. | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
| Housing Starts | -36.5 | -24.8 | -46.5 | -34.8 | -38.0 | ||
| Permits | -40.9 | -34.9 | -48.1 | -33.5 | -52.8 |
Building Permits
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 927,000. This is 5.8 percent below the revised February rate of 984,000 and is 40.9% below the revised March 2007 estimate of 1,569,000.
Single-family authorizations in March were at a rate of 606,000; this is 6.2% below the February figure of 646,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 286,000 in March.
Housing Completions
Privately-owned housing completions in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,216,000. This is 2.7 percent below the revised February estimate of 1,250,000 and is 24.5 percent below the revised March 2007 rate of 1,610,000. Single-family housing completions in March were at a rate of 944,000; this is 3.3 percent above the February figure of 914,000. The March rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 258,000.
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