Housing Starts Edge Higher as Apartment Construction Surges

Starts for buildings with five units or more jumped 16.1% from a month earlier

Laura Kusisto

Updated April 17, 2018 11:10 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON—U.S. housing starts increased in March but single-family home construction pulled back, which could spell continued inventory shortages and rapid price increases for buyers in the coming months.

Total housing starts increased 1.9% in March from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.319 million, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The...