BALDRIGE PREDICTS SOLID U.S. HOUSING GROWTH

  Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige
  predicted 1987 will be the fifth successive year for growth in
  housing starts after a 2.6 pct rise overall in February starts
  to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.851 mln units.
      "This year should be the fifth solid year in a row for
  homebuilding activity -- with single-family units stronger than
  multi-family units," he said in a statement.
      Single-family starts rose last month from January levels by
  5.6 pct to 1.317 mln units on a seasonally adjusted basis while
  multi-family unit starts fell 4.1 pct to 534,000 units, the
  department said.
  

