CLIPBOARD : Multifamily Home Futures
The future of multiple-family home building continues to look bleak. Only 106 permits were issued for future construction of these homes--condos, apartments and the like--during August, the most recent month for which information is available.
Although a one-month total is not indicative in and of itself, there were fewer permits issued in August than in all but one month this year. And aside from the 57 issued in January, it was the lowest monthly total during the last four years.
Finally, the slim August left the 1991 year-to-date total at 2,286. That is by far the lowest total for any of the last four years and is, for example, 65% below the comparable figure for 1990.
This year the eight-month decreases in permit activity compared to 1990 have been particularly pronounced in Irvine and Orange as well as the county’s unincorporated areas. Anaheim is the only city to have recorded a major increase. There are seven cities with no change--six of which issued no permits either this or last year.
Here’s how the cities stack up, listed from the largest decrease to the largest increase in permits issued:
Jan.-Aug. Jan.-Aug. 1990-’91 City 1990 1991 Difference Unincorporated areas 3,499 642 -2,857 Irvine 903 129 -774 Orange 382 25 -357 Garden Grove 280 26 -254 Tustin 379 149 -230 Cypress 80 8 -72 Dana Point 67 6 -61 Fullerton 95 35 -60 Westminster 59 3 -56 Brea 57 2 -55 Huntington Beach 85 46 -39 Buena Park 77 40 -37 Santa Ana 33 10 -23 Newport Beach 49 28 -21 Stanton 14 6 -8 Fountain Valley 0 0 No change La Habra 6 6 No change La Palma 0 0 No change Mission Viejo 0 0 No change Seal Beach 0 0 No change Villa Park 0 0 No change Yorba Linda 0 0 No change Laguna Beach 0 2 +2 Placentia 0 2 +2 San Juan Capistrano 0 4 +4 Los Alamitos 14 25 +11 San Clemente 16 38 +22 Costa Mesa 79 152 +73 Laguna Niguel * 0 82 +82 Anaheim 298 820 +522 COUNTY TOTAL 6,472 2,286 -4,186
* New city for 1990 tabulations; 1990 data before July is included in “unincorporated areas” total.
Source: Construction Industry Research Board