U.S. home builders started construction on homes at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.56 million in September, representing a 1.6% decrease from the previous month, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday. Compared with September 2020, housing starts were up 7.4%. The pace of permitting for new housing units also dropped in September. Permitting for new homes occurred at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.59 million, down 7.7% from August, in line with the rate of permitting from a year ago.
Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected housing starts to occur at a pace of 1.61 million and building permits to come in at a pace of 1.67 million.
The drop in permits was driven mainly by a decrease in multifamily housing units, though fewer single-family homes were permitted as well. New construction on multifamily buildings also decreased in September, though single-family starts remained flat.
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