By BridgeNews
Paris--Jan. 30--Housing starts in France rose an unadjusted 16.1% on the year in October-December compared with the same period of 1999, while issuance of construction permits rose 4.2%, the Housing and Transportation Ministry said. The December data confirmed a pick-up in housing construction at the end of last year, even though for the year as a whole the number of house building starts was 2% lower than in 1999.
* * * In the three months to December, there were 83,125 houses and other lodgings started and 95,121 permits granted. This compares with 81,156 starts and 95,276 permits in the three months to November.
For the month of December alone, there were 28,138 new housing starts and 31,898 housing permits issued. For 2000 as a whole, the number of housing permits issued rose 5.6% compared with 1999.
The Ministry said the fall in the number of construction starts last year was due to an exceptionally high level of activity in 1999, triggered by changes to the government tax incentives in the housing sector.