Despite a brief uptick during week 33, southern yellow pine lumber prices have remained relatively flat through the summer months and into late August. US housing data has mirrored SYP prices, as housing starts dropped 4.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 1,155,000 units in July; single-family starts were up 0.5 percent to 856,000 units and multi-family housing segment dropped 15.9 percent to a 299,000 unit-pace.