CLIPBOARD : Single-Family Home Futures
December proved a fitting climax to what can only be described as a disaster for the home-building industry. Just 73 permits for single-family homes were issued, the lowest monthly total in five years.
The December figure left the 1990 total at 3,419. Except for recession-plagued 1982, that was the fewest such permits issued in any one year since 1967. The 1990 total is 57% and 70% fewer than 1989 and 1988, respectively.
Compared to 1989, 19 cities (most notably Mission Viejo and Anaheim) and the unincorporated areas had fewer permits issued for single-family homes. There were increases in eight cities despite the huge countywide decline, with the largest increases coming in Cypress and Newport Beach.
Here’s how the 1990 and 1989 totals in all the cities compare, listed from the largest decline to the largest increase:
1989-’90 City 1989 1990 Difference Unincorporated areas 3,251 1,514 -1,737 Mission Viejo 1,007 49 -958 Anaheim 901 124 -777 Yorba Linda 645 200 -445 Orange 370 59 -311 San Clemente 317 94 -223 Buena Park 161 7 -154 Huntington Beach 226 90 -136 Fullerton 147 23 -124 San Juan Capistrano 184 75 -109 La Habra 89 31 -58 Irvine 71 32 -39 Costa Mesa 132 97 -35 Fountain Valley 38 7 -31 Santa Ana 85 59 -26 Dana Point * 120 95 -25 Seal Beach 21 10 -11 Villa Park 22 15 -7 Garden Grove 17 12 -5 Westminster 3 0 -3 Placentia 18 18 No change Laguna Beach 65 67 +2 Stanton 2 7 +5 La Palma 5 19 +14 Brea 4 37 +33 Tustin 7 73 +66 Los Alamitos 4 71 +67 Newport Beach 99 239 +140 Cypress 18 196 +178 Laguna Niguel ** N/A 99 -- COUNTY TOTAL 8,029 3,419 -4,610
*New city for 1989 tabulations; data prior to June, 1989, included in “unincorporated areas” total.
**New city for 1990 tabulations; data prior to July, 1990, included in “unincorporated areas” total.
N/C: No change
Source: Construction Industry Research Board
