Housing starts in the United States fell to their lowest level since 2020 as builders grapple with high construction costs and weak demand, while consumers wrestle with elevated mortgage rates and affordability.
Total housing starts, which include single-family homes, apartments, and condominiums, declined by 15.4 percent from April to May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.18 million housing units, a Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development report stated on June 16. May’s overall housing starts were 8.7 percent lower than the same month in 2025, with single-family home starts decreasing 1.9 percent from April.
The decline in the total number of new starts was led by a steep dip in new multifamily construction, which tumbled 40.2 percent month over month to a seasonally adjusted pace of 295,000 units for buildings that have five or more apartments. Multifamily starts were down by 14.2 percent year over year….