By Robert Hughes
Housing activity improved in April as starts and permits posted gains. However, details varied widely among the segments and regions. Total housing starts rose to a 1.235 million annual rate from a 1.168 million pace in March. The dominant single-family segment, which accounts for about three-fourths of new home construction, rose 6.2 percent for the month to a rate of 854,000 units (see top chart). The April gain was the second in a row, but the trend remains flat or slightly down. Starts of multifamily structures with five or more units increased