The U.S. Census Bureau seeks public comment on the Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions (SOC) by November 30, 2026. “The SOC is co-sponsored by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The SOC collects monthly data on new residential construction from a sample of owners or builders.” The Bureau seeks to revise the SOC and extend it for three years.
Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on July 20, 2026.
Starting in January 2027, the Bureau proposes to no longer cover “a sample of non-permit-issuing areas” in the SOC. “Non-permit estimates have steadily decreased over time and now represent less than 1% of our single-family estimates, the cost and difficulty in collecting the data is no longer worth the benefit. Instead, SOC will note that the estimates for 2027 forward are based only on permit-issuing areas.”
“The Census Bureau uses the information collected in the SOC to publish estimates of the number of new residential housing units started, under construction, completed, and the number of new houses sold and for sale. The Census Bureau also publishes many financial and physical characteristics of new housing units. Government agencies use these statistics to evaluate economic policy, measure progress towards the national housing goal, make policy decisions, and formulate legislation. For example, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System uses data from this survey to evaluate the effect of interest rates on housing sales and construction. The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses the data in developing Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The private sector uses the information for estimating the demand for building materials and the many products used in new housing and to schedule production, distribution, and sales efforts. The financial community uses the data to estimate the demand for short-term (construction loans) and long-term (mortgages) borrowing.”
- Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions (SOC) https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/30/2026-22171/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for
