Despite house building starts falling during the second quarter of 2006, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), still claims that the long-term trend is upward.

According to a report by the DCLG, house building starts and completions in England during the quarter to June 2006 were: 46,800 housing starts, down 5% on the same period in 2005. While there were 43,000 housing completions, up 5% on the same period in 2005.
Over the course of the past year up to June 2006, there were 182,400 starts, up 4% on the same time in June 2005 and 165,400 completions, up 5% on the figure for the year prior.