HOUSTHousing Starts (HOUST) — Current Value & Historical Data
FRED series title: New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
Housing Starts (HOUST) Chart & Data Table
Gray bands: NBER recessions
What is Housing Starts (HOUST)?
As provided by the Census, start occurs when excavation begins for the footings or foundation of a building.
Current Housing Starts (HOUST) Value
As of September 1, 2026, the current new privately-owned housing units started: total units is 1221.00 Thousands of Units. This is the most recent observation available for this series, updated monthly.
Housing Starts Historical Trend
New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units fell 5.20% month-over-month. Over the past year, new privately-owned housing units started: total units fell 5.42% from August 2025. In the series' tracked history, the highest recorded value was 2494.00 (January 1972), and the lowest was 478.00 (April 2009).
Methodology & Source
Source
U.S. Census Bureau / HUD
Frequency
Monthly
Units
Thousands of Units
Notes
As provided by the Census, start occurs when excavation begins for the footings or foundation of a building. All housing units in a multifamily building are defined as being started when this excavation begins. Beginning with data for September 1992, estimates of housing starts include units in stru...
Frequently Asked Questions About Housing Starts (HOUST)
What is the current new privately-owned housing units started: total units?
As of September 1, 2026, new privately-owned housing units started: total units stands at 1221.00 Thousands of Units.
Where does new privately-owned housing units started: total units data come from?
New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units data is sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) system and related U.S. government agencies. Data quality and historical coverage vary by series.
How often is new privately-owned housing units started: total units updated?
This series is updated according to its publication schedule. Check FRED or the source agency for the most current release calendar.
What is the historical high and low for new privately-owned housing units started: total units?
In the available data, the highest value was 2494.00 Thousands of Units in January 1972, and the lowest was 478.00 Thousands of Units in April 2009.
How has new privately-owned housing units started: total units changed over the past year?
Over the past year, new privately-owned housing units started: total units decreased 5.42%.
See Housing Starts in context
HOUST is tracked on the Housing Market dashboard, alongside related indicators and historical context.
View the Housing Market dashboard →Related government-spending dashboards
How Housing Starts connects to the federal budget across GOVSPENDING.ORG:
Federal Debt
Total public debt, debt held by the public, and intragovernmental holdings.
Receipts vs Outlays
Federal revenue, spending, and the resulting surplus or deficit over time.
Congressional Activity
Recent legislation, appropriations, and fiscal-related bills in Congress.
Interest Expense vs Revenue
How rising debt service costs crowd out federal spending as a share of receipts over time.
Revenue Composition
Federal receipts broken down by source — individual income, corporate, social insurance, excise taxes, and customs duties as shares of total revenue.
Agency Spending (FY 2019 vs FY 2025)
Net outlays by federal agency for FY 2019 and FY 2025, from the Treasury Monthly Treasury Statement. Both nominal and inflation-adjusted comparisons.
Related Indicators
Compare Housing Starts with related indicators
See how Housing Starts stacks up against related series in a side-by-side chart and explainer: