The December increase puts home construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.7 million units, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. In all of 2021, nearly 1.6 million housing units were started a 15.6% increase over 2020.

The December housing data was boosted by multi-unit projects where starts increased by 5%, offsetting a 2.3% decline in single-family starts. However, economists note that multi-family units make up significantly less of the market than