The US Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have released residential construction estimates for April 2015. The number of privately-owned housing units authorised by building permits was 6.4% higher than in April 2014, coming in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.143 million. The estimate is 10.1% above the revised March 2015 rate of 1.03 million. Single-family authorisations totalled 666 000, up 3.7% on the revised March 2015 estimate of 642 000.
In April, the number of privately-owned housing starts was 1.135 million at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. This compares to the revised estimate of 944 000 in March 2015 and the April 2014 rate of 1.039 million. Single-family housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted rate of 733 000, up 16.7% on the revised March 2015 estimate.
Single-family housing completions were at a rate of 688 000 in April. This is an improvement on the revised March 2015 estimate of 601 000. Privately-owned housing completions were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 986 000, up 20.4% on March 2015 and up 19.4% on April 2014.
Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham