ca housing starts decline

New home construction in California declined during April 2006, falling 20.6 percent when compared with the construction pace recorded one year earlier, the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) recently reported.

Based on the number of building permits issued, nearly 14,600 new housing units were started throughout the state in April, with single-family units accounting for 76.2 percent of the starts.

While multifamily construction activity continues to expand, the decline in single-family production seems to be leveling off, according to the report.

During the first four months of 2006, California housing starts totaled 59,950, 10.5 percent lower compared with housing starts during the same period one year earlier.

According to the report, single-family construction was the strongest in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale regions, followed by the Sacramento-Arden-Roseville and Bakersfield regions.

**taken from the california association of realtors bulletin, dated june 8, 2006.