This issue includes a supplement on condominium ownership and townhouse construction in addition to revised Figure 1. NEW PRIVATE HOUSING STARTS Total Ratio scale (Thousands) 2,600 2,400 - 2,200 2,000 1,800 -1,600 - 1,400 - 1,200 - 1,000 900 800 In structures with 5 units or more - 700 4-month moving average 1971 1972 -600 500 400 350 €300 250 200 150 Note: Total includes units started in structures with 2 to 4 units Questions regarding these data may be directed to William K. Mittendorf, Chief, Construction Starts Branch, Telephone 301-763-5731. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Postage stamps not acceptable; currency submitted at sender's risk. Remittances from foreign countries must be by international money order or by draft on a U.S. bank Annual subscription price $6.50 domestic; $1.65 additional for foreign mailing. Single copy $.55. HOUSING STARTS AND BUILDING PERMITS Privately owned housing units started in March 1977 were estimated to be at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2,127,000. This is 17 percent above the revised annual rate of 1,815,000 for February 1977 and 49 percent above the rate of 1,426,000 for March 1976. The March 1977 seasonally adjusted annual rate for single family housing starts was 1,525,000 compared with the revised February rate of 1,431,000 units. The rate in March for units in apartment buildings with 5 or more units was 495,000 compared with the revised February rate of 263,000. The March rate for units in buildings with 2 to 4 units was 107,000. During the first 3 months of this year 371,900 housing units were started compared with 280,900 units for the same period in 1976. New privately owned housing construction authorized in March 1977 was estimated to be at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,708,000 units in the 14,000 permit-issuing places. This is 12 percent above the revised annual rate of 1,529,000 for February 1977 and 44 percent above the rate of 1,188,000 for March 1976. New single family units were authorized in March 1977 at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,205,000 units compared with the revised February rate of 1,064,000. Units in apartment buildings with 5 or more units were authorized in March at an annual rate of 398,000 compared with the revised February estimate of 355,000. The March annual rate of permit authorized units in buildings with 2 to 4 units was 105,000. During the first 3 months of this year 330,500 units were authorized by permits compared with 249,100 units for the same period in 1976. In interpreting changes in housing starts and building permits, note that month-to-month changes in seasonally adjusted statistics often shown movements which may be irregular. It may take 3 months to establish an underlying trend for total starts and 2 months for total building permit authorizations. The statistics in this report are estimated from sample surveys and are subject to sampling variability as well as errors of response and nonreporting. Estimated relative standard errors for the data are shown in tables 1, 3, and 6. A detailed discussion of the reliability of the data appears in Appendix A of this report. Housing starts and building permit data do not include mobile units. Mobile home statistics are shown in table 8 and in the supplement. HISTORICAL DATA Historical data on housing starts and residential permit authorizations can be found in the following publications: Housing Construction Statistics, 1889 to 1964, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C. 1966. Construction Reports, Housing Starts, 1959 to 1971, C-20 supplement, U S. Department of Commerce, Social and Economic Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C. A list of tables and special supplements are shown below: |