Housing starts fell 2.6%; single-family construction climbed, multiunit tumbled
By Jeffrey Sparshott | The Wall Street Journal
Private housing permits rose to the highest level in 14 months in January, a sign of healthy demand amid steady job creation.
The number of permits climbed 4.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.285 million, the Commerce said Department. Single-family permits slipped 2.7% while the more volatile mult-unit permit category jumped 19.8%.
Regionally, figures in the Midwest and South were particularly strong—single-family permits rose to the highest levels since 2007.
