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    Analysis

    July 19, 2021

    Housing Starts Up in June Despite Supply-Side Constraints

    Written by David Schollaert

    Housing starts accelerated in June, jumping 6.3% from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.64 million units, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Single-family starts increased 6.3% to a 1.16 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, while construction on homes of five units or more increased 6.2% to a 483,000 pace.

    construction3Despite the increase in housing production, there is concern over weakening permit numbers for both the single-family and multifamily markets. Overall permits decreased 5.1% in June compared with the month prior to a 1.60-million-unit annualized rate. Single-family permits decreased 6.3% to a 1.06-million-unit rate, whereas multifamily permits decreased 2.6% to a 535,000 pace.

    David Schollaert

    David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

    Read more from David Schollaert

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