The National Association of Home Builders tells MHProNews.com housing starts rose 2.8 percent in March over February to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 946,000, up from 920,000 last month. According to statistics released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Census Bureau, single-family housing starts rose 6 percent month to month while multi-family housing starts dropped 6.1 percent. Regionally overall housing starts increased 65.5 percent in the Midwest and 30.7 percent in the Northeast, the strong jump largely attributed to severe weather earlier this year that hampered construction. Housing starts dropped 9.1 percent in the South and 4.5 percent in the West. Meanwhile, building permits dropped 2.4 percent overall to 990,000—the Northeast posted a gain of 33.3 percent, and the Midwest rose 26 percent, while the South lost 17.1 percent and the West was unchanged. ##
