December 2023 Residential Statistics Report

Single Family Permits End 2023 Down for December and YTD

Metro Kansas City single-family housing permits were down about 19 percent in 2023, according to statistics compiled by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City (KCHBA). The eight-county region finished the year with 3,945 single-family housing units permitted, down from 4,885 total units in 2022. For the month of December, 285 single-family permits were issued, which is up 26 percent from 227 permits issued in December 2022.

“It’s important to note that since Kansas City, Mo., began requiring the use of the 2021 IECC energy code in September, not one single-family housing permit has been issued under the new code even though more than 80 applications have been submitted,” said Will Ruder, executive vice president of the KCHBA. “Any permits currently being issued are pre-September 29, when the code went into effect, so they are still under the previous code.”

For the first time in months, Kansas City, Mo., was not the top permitting city. Olathe issued the most single-family permits in December with 43, followed by Kansas City, Mo., 42, Lenexa with 22, Liberty with 20 and Lee’s Summit with 17.

“Without residential construction, the livelihood of KCMO residents starts to be affected with fewer jobs, fewer housing opportunities, higher costs, lower inventory and a lower tax base,” said Ruder. “If you aren’t concerned about the state of housing in KCMO, you should be.”

Click here to view the December 2023 Residential Statistics Report.