World

Residential building permits up across US

Brian Bowling | Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, 12:18 p.m.

AFP/Getty Images

This photo taken on March 8, 2017 shows a construction worker installing a rooftop on to a new home being built in Fairfax, Virginia.

Developers and landowners planned more residential buildings this July compared to the previous year but started construction on fewer houses, according to the Census Bureau.

Building permits for privately owned housing nationwide increased by 4.1 percent from July 2016 to July 2017. Permits for single-family homes were up 13 percent, while permits for buildings with five or more units were down 11.7 percent.

Permits in the Northeast region, which includes Pennsylvania, were up 17 percent overall and 9.8 percent for single-family homes. The report doesn't provide data for states, counties or municipalities.

Housing starts were down 5.6 percent from July 2016 to July 2017 nationally, but starts on single-family homes were up 10.9 percent. In the Northeast, all housing starts were down 3.7 percent, but single-family starts were up 13.6 percent.

Housing completed in July was up 8.2 percent nationally and 13.5 percent in the Northeast. Housing that was under construction, but not finished, was up 3.4 percent nationally but down 3.1 percent in the Northeast.

Brian Bowling is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-1218, bbowling@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TribBrian.

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