U.S. housing starts down, permits up

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Census Bureau announced that housing units authorized by building permits in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,302,000. That rate is 0.1% below the November’s rate of 1,303,000, but is 2.8% above the December 2016 rate of 1,266,000. Housing starts for the month were at a SAAR of 1,192,000, down 8.2% from November’s estimate of 1,299,000 and down 6% from the December 2016 rate of 1,268,000.