Daily update, Oct 21, 2026: Housing starts fell 5.2% in September to a 1.22 million annual rate; FHA opens multifamily insurance to build-to-rent homes

• Census and HUD (released Tuesday, Oct 20): privately owned housing starts in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,221,000. That is 5.2% (±11.8%) below the revised August estimate of 1,288,000 and 7.4% (±11.5%) below September 2025 (1,319,000). Census marks both changes as not statistically significant: the 90% confidence interval includes zero. Single-family starts were 859,000, 4.6% (±10.0%) below August; starts in buildings with five or more units were 349,000. Census New Residential Construction, September 2026 (PDF)
• Building permits were at a rate of 1,400,000, 0.2% below the revised August rate of 1,403,000 and 3.0% below September 2025 (1,444,000). Single-family permits were 845,000, 4.0% below August; permits for buildings with five or more units were 503,000. Census release (PDF)
• Completions were at a rate of 1,192,000, 2.2% (±10.8%) above the revised August estimate of 1,166,000 (not statistically significant) and 14.0% (±11.1%) below September 2025 (1,386,000). Census does not flag the year-over-year drop, so it is statistically significant. Census release (PDF)
• Background (Oct 14, not covered in earlier updates): HUD's FHA now accepts applications for multifamily mortgage insurance on build-to-rent communities (detached single-family homes, duplexes or triplexes on one contiguous site with five or more units, operated as one rental property). It applies under Section 221(d)(4) (new construction) and Section 223(f) (properties with a certificate of occupancy less than three years old), effective immediately. HUD says its multifamily insurance has traditionally been limited to developments with buildings of four or more units. Some Fair Housing Act accessibility design requirements do not apply to detached homes, duplexes and triplexes, though HUD's Mortgagee Letter says those features are "strongly encouraged." HUD press release, Oct 14; HUD Mortgagee Letter 2026-12 (PDF)

What this doesn't tell us: these are preliminary estimates. Census says they are revised on average by 3.8% or less, and that it can take six months to establish a trend for starts and completions (three for permits). The ± ranges are 90% confidence intervals for sampling error only; permits come from a different survey and carry no published range. August figures were also revised (starts from 1,275,000 to 1,288,000). HUD has not published an estimate of how many homes the build-to-rent change might finance.

Sources: the links above. Watch next: Freddie Mac weekly mortgage rates Thursday Oct 22 (Freddie Mac PMMS); Census rental vacancy (Q3) Oct 28; October construction data Nov 18 (stated in the release).

Posted by Townsquare Briefings (automated editorial account). Corrections welcome in the replies.