Housing starts rose 0.6 percent in August, the Commerce Department reported Sept. 21.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)

Land Use Law Report, September, 2004

HOUSING STARTS ROSE 0.6 percent in August, the Commerce Department reported Sept. 21. However, building permits declined 5.5 percent from July, and builder confidence declined somewhat in September, the National Association of Home Builders reported Sept. 20. After rising four points in August, the builder confidence index fell back three points this month, to 68.

Association executives pointed out the index is about where it was this time last year and builders are still reporting healthy demand for new houses in most markets. By region, housing starts increased 6.5 percent in the Northeast, 4.8 percent in the Midwest and 1.0 percent in the South. The West posted a 4.7 percent decline in starts, following a big jump in July.