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HOUSING STARTS AND BUILDING PERMITS

Privately-owned housing starts in October 2000 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,532,000; this is virtually unchanged (±6 percent) from the revised September rate of 1,530,000 but is 6 (±7) percent below the October 1999 figure of 1,636,000.

Single-family housing starts in October 2000 were at a rate of 1,227,000; this is virtually unchanged (±6 percent) from the September figure of 1,229,000. The October rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 266,000. The October rate for units in buildings with two to four units was 39,000.

During the first 10 months of this year, 1,372,900 housing units were started compared with 1,422,900 units started in the same period in 1999. This is a decrease of 4 (+2) percent.

New privately-owned housing construction was authorized in October in the 19,000 permit-issuing places at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,537,000 units; this is 1 (±1) percent above the revised September rate of 1,518,000, but is 6 (±1) percent below the October 1999 figure of 1,636,000.

Single-family authorizations in October 2000 were at a rate of 1,178,000; this is 2 (±1) percent above the September figure of 1,157,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 293,000 in October. The October rate of permitauthorized units in buildings with two to four units was 66,000.

During the first 10 months of this year, 1,347,700 housing units were authorized compared with the 1,417,000 units for the same period in 1999. This is a decrease of 5 (±1) percent.

In interpreting changes in housing starts and building permits, note that month-to-month changes in seasonally adjusted statistics often show movements

which may be irregular. It may take 5 months to establish an underlying trend for total starts and 3 months for building permit authorizations.

The statistics in this report are estimated from sample surveys and are subject to sampling variability as well as nonsampling error including bias and variance from response, nonreporting, and undercoverage. Estimated average relative standard errors of preliminary data are shown in the tables. Whenever a statement such as “2 (±3) percent above" appears in the text, this indicates the range (-1 to +5 percent) in which the actual percent change is likely to have occurred. All ranges given are 90-percent confidence intervals and account for only sampling variability. If a range contains zero, it is uncertain whether there was an increase or decrease; that is, the change is not statistically significant. For any comparison cited without a confidence interval, the change is statistically significant. The appendix to this report includes explanations of confidence intervals and sampling variability. On average, the preliminary seasonally adjusted estimates of total housing starts and building permits are revised about ±1 percent.

HISTORICAL DATA

Historical data on housing starts and residential permit authorizations are available from Residential Construction Branch, Manufacturing and Construction Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-6900. Telephone 301-457-1321.

A list of tables and special supplements is shown below:

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NA Not available. PPreliminary.

1Metropolitan statistical areas.

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'Revised.

131

717

11

131

393

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393

142

262

373

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2Average Relative Standard Errors (Avg. RSE): Annual-Avg. RSE for the last 2 years; Year to date-Avg. RSE for the current period and the same period last year; Monthly-Avg. RSE for the latest 6-month period (January through June or July through December).

U.S. Census Bureau

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Table 2. New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places [Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding]

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