WASHINGTON – U.S. builders started construction last month on the most homes and apartments since July 2008, more evidence that the housing recovery is gaining momentum.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday that builders broke ground on homes in October at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000. That’s a 3.6 percent gain from September.

Single-family home construction dipped 0.2 percent to an annual rate of 594,000, down from a four-year high in the previous month.

Apartment construction, which is more volatile from month to month, rose 10 percent to an annual rate of 285,000.

“The overwhelming trend here is a housing market that has clearly shifted into recovery mode,” Robert Kavcic, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, said in a note to clients.