by Calculated Risk on 9/17/2020 08:38:00 AM

From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions

Housing Starts:
Privately-owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,416,000. This is 5.1 percent below the revised July estimate of 1,492,000, but is 2.8 percent above the August 2019 rate of 1,377,000. Single-family housing starts in August were at a rate of 1,021,000; this is 4.1 percent above the revised July figure of 981,000. The August rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 375,000.

Building Permits:
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,470,000. This is 0.9 percent below the revised July rate of 1,483,000 and is 0.1 percent below the August 2019 rate of 1,471,000. Single-family authorizations in August were at a rate of 1,036,000; this is 6.0 percent above the revised July figure of 977,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 381,000 in August.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows single and multi-family housing starts for the last several years.

Multi-family starts (red, 2+ units) were up downAugust compared to July.   Multi-family starts were down 15% year-over-year in August.

Single-family starts (blue) increased in August, and were up 12% year-over-year.

The second graph shows total and single unit starts since 1968.

The second graph shows the huge collapse following the housing bubble, and then eventual recovery (but still historically low).

Total housing starts in August were below expectations, however starts in June and July were revised up, combined.

I'll have more later …