HOUSING STARTS AND BUILDING PERMITS IN DECEMBER 1997 PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING STARTS Privately owned housing starts in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,519,000, according to estimates reported today by the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of the Census. This is 1 (+/-6) percent below the revised November rate of 1,531,000, but 12 (+/-8) percent above the December 1996 rate of 1,353,000. Single-family housing starts in December 1997 were at a rate of 1,092,000; this is 6 (+/-6) percent below the November figure of 1,161,000. The December rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 372,000. The December rate for units in buildings with two to four units was 55,000. The preliminary estimate of privately owned housing units started in 1997 was 1,475,900. This is virtually unchanged (+/-1 percent) from the 1996 figure of 1,476,800. BUILDING PERMITS The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing units authorized by building permits in December was 1,494,000; this is 4 (+/-1) percent above the revised November rate of 1,440,000 and 6 (+/-2) percent above the December 1996 estimate of 1,405,000. Single-family authorizations in December 1997 were at a rate of 1,078,000; this is 2 (+/-1) percent above the November figure of 1,061,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 324,000 in December. The December rate of permit-authorized units in buildings with two to four units was 92,000. The preliminary estimate of privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in 1997 was 1,443,200. This is 1 (+/-1) percent above the 1996 figure of 1,425,600. MOBILE HOME SHIPMENTS Statistics on mobile home shipments, which lag by 1 month, appear in the Current Construction Reports, series C20. In November, manufacturers' shipments of mobile homes were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 347,000, virtually unchanged from the October figure of 348,000. The November 1996 rate was 354,000. Before seasonal adjustment, total shipments in November 1997 were 26,300. The next press release is scheduled to be issued on Wednesday, February 18, 1998, at 8:30 A.M. EST. EXPLANATORY NOTES In interpreting changes in the statistics in this release, note that month-to-month changes in seasonally adjusted statistics often show movements which may be irregular. It may take 4 months to establish an underlying trend for total starts, 3 months for building permit authorizations, and 2 months for mobile home shipments. Except for those on mobile home shipments, the statistics in this release 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 for percent changes are 90- percent confidence intervals and account only for 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 April 1997 Current Construction Reports, C20/97-4, 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. Statistics on mobile home shipments are compiled from manufacturers' reports to the National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards (NCSBCS). Questions regarding these data may be directed to the Manufacturing and Construction Division, Residential Construction Branch, telephone (301)457-4703. NEW PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING UNITS STARTED BY TYPE OF STRUCTURE: DECEMBER 1997 In structures with - 3 and 4 5 units Period Total 1 unit 2 units units or more Seasonally adjusted annual rate 1996 - December 1,353 1,024 48 281 1997 - January 1,375 1,125 43 207 February 1,554 1,237 44 273 March 1,479 1,142 45 292 April 1,483 1,133 40 310 May 1,402 1,098 34 270 June 1,503 1,134 37 332 July 1,465 1,149 37 279 August 1,395 1,091 42 262 September 1,507 1,181 46 280 October(r) 1,527 1,122 63 342 November(r) 1,531 1,161 40 330 DECEMBER (p) 1,519 1,092 55 372 AVG. RSE(%) 3 3 14 7 Not seasonally adjusted 1996 1,476.8 1,160.9 16.4 28.8 270.8 1997(p) 1,475.9 1,133.6 17.7 26.5 298.1 AVG. RSE(%) 1 1 6 9 2 1996 - December 93.1 68.8 1.1 1.9 21.3 1997 - January 82.2 66.6 0.6 1.5 13.5 February 94.7 75.1 1.4 1.1 17.1 March 120.4 96.1 0.9 2.6 20.7 April 142.3 109.5 1.8 2.2 28.9 May 136.3 106.2 1.2 1.9 27.0 June 140.4 108.8 1.4 2.6 27.5 July 134.6 107.4 1.9 1.5 23.7 August 126.5 98.8 1.5 2.0 24.2 September 139.2 108.3 2.2 2.0 26.7 October(r) 139.0 99.2 2.0 4.4 33.4 November(r) 113.1 83.2 1.5 2.4 26.0 DECEMBER (p) 107.2 74.3 1.4 2.2 29.3 AVG. RSE(%) 3 3 13 21 7 Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. AVG. RSE(%): Annual - Avg. RSE for the last two years. YTD - Avg. RSE for the current period and the same period last year. Monthly - Avg. RSE for the latest six month period (January-June or July-December). (p) Preliminary. (r) Revised. (X) Not applicable. (Z) Less than 50 units or less than 0.5 percent. Source: Construction Reports, Series C20, Housing Starts. The C20 Report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Annual subscription: $21.00. Questions regarding these data may be directed to the Manufacturing and Construction Division, Residential Construction Branch, telephone (301)457-4703. NEW PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING UNITS STARTED BY REGION: DECEMBER 1997 North- Mid- Period Total east west South West Seasonally adjusted annual rate 1996 - December 1,353 139 300 641 273 1997 - January 1,375 182 260 589 344 February 1,554 135 386 671 362 March 1,479 150 301 653 375 April 1,483 136 292 707 348 May 1,402 120 301 617 364 June 1,503 114 307 715 367 July 1,465 147 299 676 343 August 1,395 122 280 653 340 September 1,507 140 302 701 364 October(r) 1,527 118 326 709 374 November (r) 1,531 161 275 676 419 DECEMBER (p) 1,519 132 320 672 395 AVG. RSE(%) 3 9 6 4 3 Not seasonally adjusted 1996 1,476.8 132.1 321.5 661.9 361.4 1997(p) 1,475.9 136.7 303.4 671.5 364.2 AVG. RSE (%) 1 1 2 2 1 1996 - December 93.1 9.7 17.4 47.4 18.6 1997 - January 82.2 8.5 10.5 39.8 23.3 February 94.7 6.2 16.3 47.4 24.8 March 120.4 11.1 22.3 55.5 31.4 April 142.3 13.1 28.4 68.6 32.2 May 136.3 11.7 31.5 58.8 34.4 June 140.4 11.6 31.9 62.3 34.5 July 134.6 14.6 30.0 58.9 31.1 August 126.5 11.6 28.1 55.5 31.3 September 139.2 13.7 29.7 62.6 33.1 October(r) 139.0 11.2 34.0 60.9 33.0 November (r) 113.1 14.4 21.2 50.1 27.5 DECEMBER (p) 107.2 9.0 19.5 51.2 27.5 AVG. RSE (%) 3 9 6 4 3 Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. AVG. RSE(%): Annual - Avg. RSE for the last two years. YTD - Avg. RSE for the current period and the same period last year. Monthly - Avg. RSE for the latest six month period (January-June or July-December). (p) Preliminary. (r) Revised. (X) Not applicable. (Z) Less than 50 units or less than 0.5 percent. Source: Construction Reports, Series C20, Housing Starts. The C20 Report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Annual subscription: $21.00. Questions regarding these data may be directed to the Manufacturing and Construction Division, Residential Construction Branch, telephone (301)457-4703. PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING UNITS AUTHORIZED BY BUILDING PERMITS IN PERMIT-ISSUING PLACES BY TYPE OF STRUCTURE: DECEMBER 1997 In structures with - 3 and 4 5 units Period Total 1 unit 2 units units or more Seasonally adjusted annual rate (19,000 permit-issuing places) 1996 - December 1,405 999 65 341 1997 - January 1,395 1,052 62 281 February 1,438 1,069 68 301 March 1,457 1,034 71 352 April 1,442 1,060 68 314 May 1,432 1,053 66 313 June 1,402 1,049 70 283 July 1,414 1,030 77 307 August 1,397 1,027 66 304 September 1,460 1,065 69 326 October 1,487 1,087 77 323 November (r) 1,440 1,061 58 321 DECEMBER (p) 1,494 1,078 92 324 AVG. RSE(%) 1 1 4 2 Not seasonally adjusted (19,000 permit-issuing places) 1996 1,425.6 1,069.5 33.6 32.2 290.3 1997(p) 1,443.2 1,056.1 35.3 35.6 316.2 AVG. RSE(%) 1 1 2 3 1 1996 - December 99.2 66.0 2.2 2.0 29.1 1997 - January 88.9 66.0 2.0 1.7 19.2 February 92.8 70.2 2.3 2.0 18.3 March 120.1 88.5 3.0 2.8 25.8 April 137.0 103.8 3.3 3.3 26.6 May 131.8 100.5 2.9 3.0 25.3 June 131.6 99.6 3.3 3.5 25.2 July 132.5 98.2 3.3 3.5 27.5 August 124.2 90.6 2.7 2.9 28.0 September 134.6 94.0 3.0 3.4 34.1 October 135.3 96.4 4.0 4.2 30.7 November (r) 99.8 71.7 2.3 2.2 23.5 DECEMBER (p) 108.9 73.4 3.1 3.2 29.3 AVG. RSE(%) 1 1 5 7 2 Not started at end of period - not seasonally adjusted (19,000 permit-issuing places) 1996 - December 126.4 67.5 4.8 54.2 1997 - October(r) 122.0 66.5 4.9 50.6 November (r) 110.7 61.1 4.1 45.5 DECEMBER (p) 113.1 64.3 4.2 44.5 AVG. RSE(%) 3 3 10 6 Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. AVG. RSE(%): Annual - Avg. RSE for the last two years. YTD - Avg. RSE for the current period and the same period last year. Monthly - Avg. RSE for the latest six month period (January-June or July-December). (p) Preliminary. (r) Revised. (X) Not applicable. (Z) Less than 50 units or less than 0.5 percent. Source: Construction Reports, Series C20, Housing Starts. The C20 Report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Annual subscription: $21.00. Questions regarding these data may be directed to the Manufacturing and Construction Division, Residential Construction Branch, telephone (301)457-4703. PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING UNITS AUTHORIZED BY BUILDING PERMITS IN PERMIT-ISSUING PLACES BY REGION: DECEMBER 1997 North- Mid- Period Total east west South West Seasonally adjusted annual rate (19,000 permit-issuing places) 1996 - December 1,405 145 303 636 321 1997 - January 1,395 146 299 600 350 February 1,438 164 312 610 352 March 1,457 153 307 652 345 April 1,442 127 316 651 348 May 1,432 129 298 632 373 June 1,402 135 296 641 330 July 1,414 133 276 656 349 August 1,397 134 283 614 366 September 1,460 135 300 638 387 October 1,487 126 286 684 391 November (r) 1,440 136 290 633 381 DECEMBER (p) 1,494 162 311 628 393 AVG. RSE(%) 1 2 2 1 1 Not seasonally adjusted (19,000 permit-issuing places) 1996 1,425.6 136.9 317.8 623.4 347.4 1997(p) 1,443.2 142.0 297.6 639.1 364.5 AVG. RSE(%) 1 1 1 1 1 1996 - December 99.2 9.4 18.7 47.4 23.6 1997 - January 88.9 8.2 13.4 44.1 23.1 February 92.8 8.1 15.9 44.5 24.3 March 120.1 11.3 24.1 55.9 28.8 April 137.0 12.4 31.4 61.5 31.7 May 131.8 12.6 29.3 56.6 33.2 June 131.6 13.6 28.2 57.4 32.3 July 132.5 13.3 27.2 58.2 33.7 August 124.2 12.5 27.0 52.5 32.1 September 134.6 12.3 29.1 57.8 35.3 October 135.3 12.1 29.6 58.6 35.1 November (r) 99.8 10.5 21.1 43.5 24.6 DECEMBER (p) 108.9 11.4 20.4 47.8 29.3 AVG. RSE(%) 1 2 2 1 1 Not started at end of period - not seasonally adjusted (19,000 permit-issuing places) 1996 - December 126.4 16.0 16.6 68.1 25.8 1997 - October(r) 122.0 14.3 15.2 65.6 26.9 November (r) 110.7 10.6 13.7 61.9 24.5 DECEMBER (p) 113.1 11.9 13.9 60.2 27.0 AVG. RSE(%) 3 9 9 4 5 Thousands of units. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. AVG. RSE(%): Annual - Avg. RSE for the last two years. YTD - Avg. RSE for the current period and the same period last year. Monthly - Avg. RSE for the latest six month period (January-June or July-December). (p) Preliminary. (r) Revised. (X) Not applicable. (Z) Less than 50 units or less than 0.5 percent. Source: Construction Reports, Series C20, Housing Starts. The C20 Report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Annual subscription: $21.00. Questions regarding these data may be directed to the Manufacturing and Construction Division, Residential Construction Branch, telephone (301)457-4703.