New residential construction slowed down in April as higher interest rates hurt affordability and demand for new homes waned.
- New construction permits stood at a seasonally adjusted rate of 1,819,000 in April, a 3.2% decline from March but up 3.1% from April 2021.
- Privately-owned housing starts came in at a seasonally adjusted 1,724,000, a 0.2% decline from the prior month but 14.6% higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, single-family housing starts dropped by 7.3% from the March rate to 1,100,000.
- Housing completions came in at a seasonally adjusted 1,295,000, which was 5.1% lower than the month before, and down 8.6% from the level in April 2021.
The decline in construction activity comes as the average for a 30-year loan increased to 5.3% last week, up from 2.49% a year earlier.
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Source: US Census Bureau
