Housing Starts, Permits Declining

Housing starts haven't ben this low in nine months, according to new data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

1 minute read

July 19, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Lucia Mutikani reports that U.S. housing starts and permits are declining as the construction industry reacts to growing expenses in building supply and ongoing shortages of land and labor.

"Housing starts tumbled 12.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.173 million units last month, the lowest level since September 2017," according to Commerce Department data cited by Mutikani.

Neither builders nor buyers can keep up pressure on surging prices, according to experts cited in the article. Inputs are increasingly expensive on the supply side and prices are outpacing wages on the demand side.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018 in Reuters

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Black hearse seen from behind driving on multilane road.

The New Parisian Hearse is a Bicycle

Sleek, silent, and sustainable, a green trip to the graveyard has hit the streets of the French capital.

45 minutes ago - Momentum Magazine

Row of double-headed street lights against orange sunset sky.

How Smart Street Lights Can Help Cities Achieve Sustainability Goals

Switching to energy-efficient LEDs and using tech to program when and how street lighting operates can save cities millions in electricity expenses and bring down carbon emissions.

1 hour ago - Cities Today

Small boat stranded on cracked dry earth in Lake Mead area during a drought.

NOAA: Southwest ‘Megadrought’ to Persist

Roughly 40 percent of the 48 lower U.S. states are currently in some state of ‘abnormally dry conditions.’

2 hours ago - Inside Climate News