Housing Starts Rise 5.8 Percent

Housing Starts Rise 5.8 Percent

Housing starts rose 5.8 percent in April to an annual rate of 672,000 units, the highest level since October 2008, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

Single-family home starts rose 10.2 percent, while multifamily starts declined 18.6 percent, reversing the trend from previous months.

New building permits, a gauge of future activity, declined 11.5 percent to an annual rate of 606,000, the lowest level since October 2009, Commerce also reported.

Source: Reuters News, Lucia Mutikani (05/18/2010)