Deschutes sees glimmer of hope in housing

BEND, Ore. (AP) — Once a hotspot for housing construction in Oregon, Deschutes County has seen the best month for construction permits in three years, but nobody is predicting the start of another boom.

After issuing only five in June, the county issued 24 building permits for single-family homes in July.

For years, Deschutes County and its major city, Bend, led a Central Oregon housing boom that deflated in the Great Recession.

Deschutes County Administrator Dave Kanner told the Bend Bulletin (http://bit.ly/rh27S9 ) he’s withholding judgment until he sees whether coming months show similar activity.

The city of Bend reports a sustained increase in single-family home permits since the beginning of the year, although the pace is still behind that of the years before the recession.

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Information from: The Bulletin, http://www.bendbulletin.com