Housing starts and building permits in August were at their highest level all year, rising 1.5 percent to an annual rate of 598,000 units, while building permits were up 2.7 percent during the month, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. All of the increase was in the multifamily segment of the housing market: starts spiked up 25.3 percent for multifamily, while single-family home starts dropped 3 percent.