This goes back and forth and you can see it if you live long enough. The question remains...who does this and why? In the 1950's, one bought a home and stayed in it while paying it off and in the end, it became a natural rent free situation

Disappointing to learn that many of the housing starts were apartment buildings.  

I put very little value in the stats.  They are old for what we need most of the time anyways.