MULTIFAMILY HOME PERMITS

Multifamily housing permit activity continues in a comparative funk. The 488 permits issued during August (the most recent month for which information is available) was the lowest August total for any of the last four years. And though it was a slight increase from the 440 issued in July, it was still far below the 704 per-month average for the year.

During the first eight months of 1989, 5,631 multifamily dwelling permits were issued. That total is also far lower than 1988 (33% fewer permits), 1987 (54% fewer) and 1986 (47% fewer). The year-to-date change from last year is highlighted by major dips in the county’s unincorporated areas as well as the cities of Costa Mesa and Tustin. Only Fullerton registered a significant increase in the number of permits issued.

Jan.-Aug. Jan.-Aug. 1988-’89 City 1988 1989 Difference Unincorporated areas 3,294 2,387 -907 Costa Mesa 588 17 -571 Tustin 622 111 -511 Yorba Linda 296 0 -296 Santa Ana 405 148 -257 San Clemente 392 151 -241 Brea 233 17 -216 Huntington Beach 446 250 -196 Irvine 247 171 -76 Fountain Valley 71 0 -71 Los Alamitos 66 5 -61 Westminster 75 24 -51 Anaheim 1,047 1,022 -25 Cypress 42 20 -22 La Habra 41 20 -21 Laguna Beach 15 2 -13 Garden Grove 120 108 -12 La Palma 0 0 N/C Seal Beach 0 0 N/C Villa Park 0 0 N/C Placentia 34 35 +1 San Juan Capistrano 0 4 +4 Stanton 7 12 +5 Buena Park 112 139 +27 Orange 38 68 +30 Newport Beach 138 180 +42 Fullerton 108 379 +271 Dana Point N/A N/A -- Mission Viejo 0* 361 -- COUNTY TOTAL 8,437 5,631 -2,806

N/A: Information not available

N/C: No change

* Reflects only two months of activity in 1988

Source: Construction Industry Research Board

PERMIT TREND August: 488

EIGHT-MONTH ANNUAL COMPARISON 1986: 10,566 1987: 12,196 1988: 8,437 1989: 5,631

FIVE-COUNTY COMPARISON

% of 1989 % of 1989 Jan.-Aug. Jan.-Aug. Percentage 5-County State County 1988 1989 Difference Total Total Los Angeles 20,580 15,764 -23 49 32 Orange 8,437 5,631 -33 18 11 Riverside 3,744 2,282 -39 7 5 San Bernardino 3,151 3,458 +10 11 7 San Diego 8,294 4,976 -40 15 10 Five-County Total 44,206 32,111 -27 100 65 STATE TOTAL 60,876 49,274 -19 -- 100

Source: Construction Industry Research Board