New housing starts down

GAINESVILLE - Residential construction activity in Gainesville and Hall County last month was about half what it was a year ago.

During January, 78 permits were okayed for new, single-family housing by the city-county building inspection department.

A year ago, 150 were approved.

Seventy-six of the houses, expected to cost $10-point-2 million dollars, are to be built in unincorporated parts of the county; the other two - worth $250,000 - will be built in Gainesville.