(02-19-20) The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for January 2020: Building Permits – Privately‐owned housing units authorized by building permits in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,551,000. This is 9.2 percent (±2.1 percent) above the revised December rate of 1,420,000 and is 17.9 percent (±1.3 percent) above the January 2019 rate of 1,316,000. Single‐family authorizations in January were at a rate of 987,000; this is 6.4 percent (±2.5 percent) above the revised December figure of 928,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 522,000 in January. Housing Starts – Privately‐owned housing starts in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,567,000. This is 3.6 percent (±13.3 percent)* below the revised December estimate of 1,626,000, but is 21.4 percent (±12.2 percent) above the January 2019 rate of 1,291,000. Single‐family housing starts in January were at a rate of 1,010,000; this is 5.9 percent (±11.6 percent)* below the revised December figure of 1,073,000. The January rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 547,000. Housing Completions – Privately‐owned housing completions in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,280,000. This is 3.3 percent (±8.4 percent)* below the revised December estimate of 1,323,000, but is 1.5 percent (±11.7 percent)* above the January 2019 rate of 1,261,000. Single‐family housing completions in January were at a rate of 877,000; this is 3.5 percent (±6.8 percent)* below the revised December rate of 909,000. The January rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 397,000.