Washington, DC, August 16--Housing starts fell 0.1 percent in July from a four month high in June, according to the Commerce Department.
In July builders broke ground on 2.042 million housing units at an annual rate in July compared with a revised 2.045 million the month before. Building permits rose to a 2.167 million annual rate, the highest in 32 years.
Economists had forecast starts to increase during the month to a 2.025 million annual rate last month.
Regionally, starts rose in the Midwest by 9.1 percent to a 371,000-unit rate. They also rose in the Northeast and the West. They fell 5.4 percent in the South to a 980,000-unit rate.
