U.S. HOUSING STARTS ROSE 2.6 PCT IN FEBRUARY

  U.S. housing starts rose 2.6 pct in
  February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,851,000
  units, the Commerce Department said.
      In January, housing starts fell a revised 0.5 pct to
  1,804,000 units. The department previously said they fell 0.1
  pct.
      The rate at which permits were issued for future
  construction rose in February by 4.4 pct to a seasonally
  adjusted 1,764,000 units after falling 11.52 pct to 1,690,000
  units in January.
      Permits for single-family houses fell in January by 6.6 pct
  to 1,091,000.
      The number of permits for multi-family houses fell in
  February by 11.7 pct to 529,000 units after falling in January
  by 19.3 pct, the department said.
      Housing starts in February included a seasonally adjusted
  5.6 pct rise in single family units to 1,317,000 units and a
  4.1 pct fall in multi-family homes to 534,000 units.
      The seasonally adjusted permits total in February for
  single family units was 1,235,000 and for multi-family units
  was 529,000 units.
  

