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Housing permits have been weak throughout 2019, continuing a downward trend that started in the summer of 2018. 8,975 permits were issued statewide in June, down 34 percent from the prior June. In total, 52,600 permits have been issued in the first half of 2019, down 18 percent from 2018.

Multifamily housing units (25,500) have made up about half of the permits issued in 2019. Multifamily permits have been notably weak in recent months, falling below prior year by 44 percent in May and 51 percent in June. Overall, multifamily permitting is down 24 percent through the first half of 2019 as compared to 2018.

Single family housing permits (27,000) have made up the other half of permits issued in 2019. Single family permits declined 7 percent in June relative to a year ago. Through the first half of 2019, single family permits are down 11 percent compared to 2018.

Last summer, we noted that there was significant uptick in housing permits in Sonoma County during the months following the Tubbs Fire, suggesting the rebuilding process started relatively quickly. In contrast, rebuilding has not occurred as quickly in Butte County following the Camp Fire last fall. Whereas housing permits in Sonoma County more than doubled in the six months following the Tubbs Fire, permits in Butte County have been relatively flat thus far in 2019.

Data source: CIRB (Construction Industry Research Board), a service provided by the California Homebuilding Foundation http://www.mychf.org/cirb.html

 



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