2011 was one of the weakest years on record for housing construction in Massachusetts, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
A total of 7,260 building permits were filed in the state, down from 8,648 in 2010, and just beating out 7,097 in 2009, the worst year on record.
Single-family homes accounted for 62 percent of permitted dwellings last year while 34 percent of the dwellings were in buildings containing five or more units.
