October - December 2012
December housing starts hit 4-year high, full year starts up 28.1% y/y
January 17, 2013 (Census/HUD News Release)
December U.S. housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 954,000 units, 12.1% higher than the revised November estimate and 36.9% above the December 2011 rate. December starts were at their highest rate since June 2008. Single-family starts in December were at a rate of 616,000 units, 8.1% higher than the revised November figure. Building permits were at a SAAR of 903,000 units in December, 0.3% above the revised November rate and 28.8% above the December 2011 estimate. Some 780,000 (preliminary estimate) housing units were started in 2012, an increase of 28.1% over the 2011 housing starts figure of 608,800.