2019 Permit Numbers Continue to Lag 2018 Activity Level (June 2019)

With 387 single-family units permitted during June, the year-to-date total of 2,013 is now 35 percent lower than the same time period in 2018, according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City’s (HBA) monthly Residential Building Permit Statistics report. During the first six months of 2018, 3,105 permits were issued for new single-family homes.

Click here for the June 2019 Residential Statistics Permit report.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) sees a similar trend nationwide: “While demand for single-family homes remains sound, builders continue to report rising development and construction costs, with some additional concerns over trade issues,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Meanwhile, lower mortgage rates alone are not sufficient to tackle housing affordability headwinds, as new home sales in May posted an unexpected 8 percent decline from the solid numbers recorded in April. Given ongoing affordability concerns, we expect single-family housing starts to remain flat throughout 2019.”

Kansas City, Mo., recorded the highest number of permits so far in 2019, with 209 in its three-county reach. Olathe has the second highest number of permits issued with 208 units. Lee’s Summit (183 permits), Overland Park (135 permits), and Blue Springs (116 permits) round out the top five cities with the most permits issued in the first six months of 2019.