Housing Starts Up 10.8 Percent in 2015

Approximately 1.1 million housing units were started in 2015, up 10.8 percent from the previous year’s one million mark, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, 2015 ended with a whimper: single-family housing starts in December were at a rate of 768,000, 3.3 percent below the revised November figure of 794,000, while privately-owned housing starts in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,149,000, which is 2.5 percent below the revised November estimate of 1,179,000 but 6.4 percent above the December 2014 rate of 1,080,000.

Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,232,000, 3.9 percent below the revised November rate of 1,282,000 but 14.4 percent above the December 2014 estimate of 1,077,000. Single-family authorizations in December were at a rate of 740,000, up 1.8 percent from the revised November figure of

727,000.

Privately-owned housing completions in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,013,000, a 5.6 percent increase from the revised November estimate of 959,000 and 7.9 percent above the December 2014 rate of 939,000. Single-family housing completions in December were at a rate of 696,000, 8.8 percent higher than the revised November rate of 640,000.