Construction of homes posted the biggest increase in more than two years in April, fueled by a jump in apartment construction. While it was a rare spot of good news for the housing market, analysts said it's far too soon to declare an end to the slump.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that housing construction rose by 8.2 percent in April, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.03-million units. Building of single-family homes continued to weaken, offsetting any enthusiasm over the launch of more apartments.

Analysts predicted the surprising rebound in April would be temporary, given the headwinds builders are still confronting, from slumping sales to soaring home foreclosures.

"It is definitely too early to uncork the champagne on the long and winding road to more-healthy housing-market conditions," said Brian Bethune, an economist at Global Insight. He didn't expect housing to stabilize until the end of this year.

The prolonged slump in housing has been a major drag on the overall economy, raising worries the country could fall into recession. A second report Friday showed that consumer confidence fell to a 28-year low of 59.5 in early May, down from 62.6 in April. Higher gas and food prices were blamed.

Apartment construction can be volatile from month to month. Building of apartments, defined as two or more units, jumped 36 percent in April, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 340,000 units.

Despite a glut of rental condos, apartment construction in the Tampa Bay area has likewise been fairly brisk, remaining a bright spot in a dark housing market, said Michael Slater, whose Tampa company Triad Research & Consulting specializes in the apartment industry.

Hillsborough County has been the focal point, with 11 complexes totaling 3,000 units under construction from Brandon running through Tampa's Channelside district to the West Shore business district.

Though Pinellas County had no active apartment projects at the start of the year, seven projects totaling 2,000 units are in the pipeline. Eleven more are planned in Pasco County.

It's not just the relatively high cost of home ownership that's driving apartment rentals, but the hundreds of people forced from their homes by foreclosure.

"Demand for rental housing is, in some respects, greater than ever," Slater said.

Times staff writer James Thorner contributed to this report.