Housing adds needed steam to economy engine Consumer confidence is weak.
Industrial production is down.
The stock market has become a roller coaster. But make no mistake there s strength left in this economy. And much of it resides in the housing sector. In this time of economic uncertainty, one sector stands out for its defiance of the trend, adding much-needed steam to the engines of economic growth. That pocket of resiliency is residential construction, which, bolstered by lower interest rates, continues making a positive contribution to the gross national product by spurring job growth and consumer spending even as other industries falter.