Dive summary:

• Housing starts last month were up in two of the National Association of Home Builders' four regions and up 6.8% on a national basis, but the pace for pulling building permits fell.
• In both cases, it was multifamily housing that determined the overall numbers as starts rose 21.6% nationally and permits declined 10%.
• In both instances, single-family housing was pretty much just along for the ride, with starts unchanged from April and permits up 1.3%.

From the article:

“Unusually wet weather across much of the country likely dampened the pace of single-family production in May,” noted NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. ...