WASHINGTON -- Housing starts rose strongly in January to their highest level in nine months, the government said in a report that suggested lower mortgage rates were breathing life into the housing market.
The Commerce Department said groundbreaking for new housing rose 5.3% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.651 million units following a 0.3% gain in December. January's gains were seen across-the-board in single-family homes, townhomes and apartment buildings.