Housing Permits up 3.5% in August

Washington, DC, September 17, 2015—Privately owned housing units were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,170,000 in August, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced.

This is 3.5% above the revised July rate of 1,130,000 and 12.5% above the August 2014 estimate of 1,040,000.

Single-family authorizations in August were at a rate of 699,000; this is 2.8% above the revised July figure of 680,000.

Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 440,000 in August.

Privately owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,126,000, 3.0% below the revised July estimate of 1,161,000 but 16.6% above the August 2014 rate of 966,000.

Single-family housing starts in August were at a rate of 739,000; this is 3.0% below the revised July figure of 762,000. The August rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 381,000.

Privately owned housing completions in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 935,000. This is 6.1% below the revised July estimate of 996,000, but is 3.3% above the August 2014 rate of 905,000.