It’s
good news, said National Association of Home Builders Chairman Bob Jones.
U.S. housing starts rose
in March to a seasonally adjusted 626,000 units, the Commerce Department
reported April 16.
Housing construction
permits also increased 7.5 percent for the month, reaching a seasonally
adjusted 685,000 units.
It’s good news, said National
Association of
Home Builders Chairman Bob Jones.
"After an uncertain
couple of months, home builders are gradually getting back to what they do best
as the spring home buying season commences and consumers return to the
market," Jones said. "While we still have a long way to go, today's
numbers are an indication that builders are looking down the road with a bit
more optimism."
Jones is a builder from West
Bloomfield, Mich.
David Crowe, the association’s
chief economist, was also encouraged by the report.
"Today's report is very
encouraging, because it signifies that home builders are confident enough to
begin work on homes that will very likely be completed after the expiration of
the home buyer tax credits," Crowe said. "The solid gain in permit
issuance last month is particularly welcome news, since those numbers are
generally a reliable indicator of future building activity. That said,
considerable headwinds continue to impede housing's recovery, including the
critical shortage of credit for housing production that is stifling new
development in reviving markets."
