A table listing housing starts by type and by metro area is available on the CBIA Web site. Need a local contact? See our list of local BIA/HBA media contacts in your area.   SACRAMENTO - Total housing starts in California in April dipped well below production levels in March, falling 24 percent, the California Building Industry Association announced today.  Construction on both single-family and multifamily homes lagged behind last month's production levels and also trailed when compared to the same period one year ago.   In April, permits were pulled for 7,174 single-family homes statewide, down nearly 11 percent from the previous month and down 37 percent from April 2006, while multifamily housing starts - condos and apartments - totaled 3,181, down 42 percent from the previous month and down nearly 10 percent when compared to April 2006.   Overall for the month, builders pulled permits for 10,355 homes, condos and apartments, according to statistics compiled by the Burbank-based Construction Industry Research Board. During the first four months of the year, production began on 43,418 homes and apartments, 28 percent less than last year's total.   CBIA Chief Economist Alan Nevin said that about 50 percent of the decline this year in single-family housing production comes from the Riverside/San Bernardino and Sacramento markets, where commuters from nearby major markets are feeling the pain from high gas prices.   "In the multifamily sector, total permits were down 22 percent during the first four months of the year, but 68 percent of the decline was in Los Angeles County and the Bay Area," Nevin said. "It's important to note that most of the state is modestly lagging behind 2006, with the big declines limited to a few select areas."   Lower production statewide is not good news for prospective homebuyers struggling to buy their first home, as Nevin emphasized that the demand for the homes on the market today is not the same as the state's chronic need for new housing to accommodate its growing population.   CBIA President and CEO Robert Rivinius added that the industry needs to build well over 200,000 new homes, condos and apartments a year to meet the need for housing.   "While California needs new homes in all price ranges, the need is greatest in the entry-level market.  With ever-rising fees and constraints put on new production, it's nearly impossible to meet the need in that market," Rivinius said.   "The state needs between 220,000 and 240,000 new homes and apartments just to keep pace with the steady population growth of some 500,000 people a year.  Unless we see some major reforms soon, it does not appear that we will reach those production levels anytime soon, which is extremely unfortunate."