Home building permits down sharply in Vancouver in ’08

The city of Vancouver issued 280 building permits for construction of single-family homes in 2008 worth an estimated total of $27.3 million. The numbers were down substantially from 2007 when the city issued 419 single-family home building permits worth $43.4 million.

Last month, only nine permits were issued compared to 20 in December 2007. The decline in home building activity, as measured by permits, mirrors a countywide building slump and national trends. In 2006, Vancouver issued 359 permits for new homes.