Housing starts shot up 210.5 percent over the same period last year in Solano, down statewide

Solano County housing starts were up in January year-over-year, according to a report Wednesday by the California Building Industry Association.

Alameda and Contra Costa counties, however, followed a statewide trend with starts down compared to last year.

According to the Construction Industry Research Board in Burbank, new housing units in Solano County, as measured by permits issued for January, shot up 210.5 percent over the same period last year. In January 2005, 267 units were started, compared to 86 started in January 2004.

Compared to December's 522 starts, however, January construction fell 48.9 percent

In Alameda and Contra Costa counties, starts were down 61 percent from January 2004, with only 350 units started in January 2005, compared to 897 units started over the same period last year.

Construction fell 60 percent, compared to the 875 December starts.

Statewide, new units totaled 13,775 in January, compared to the year-ago figure of 14,621, a drop of 5.8 percent.

Compared to December's total of 19,334, construction statewide fell a steeper 28.8 percent in January.

Rain caused construction delays around the state in January.