Residential home construction increased 5% in 2016 from the previous year. An estimated 1,166,400 housing units were started in 2016. Single-family starts were up 9% in 2016, while multi-family declined slightly from the previous year.  In December housing starts grew 11% at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department.  Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes was almost unchanged in January. According to the National Home Builder Association’s Chairman, builders expect that a new federal government ...