WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 30, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — New residential construction in Connecticut was the strongest in four years in 2012, as demand for new housing units appeared to gain momentum, according to a report today.
Towns and cities issued permits for 4,140 single-family houses, condominiums and apartment units last year, a 46-percent jump from 2,837 in 2011 when new home construction hit the lowest level in decades.
The report, from the state Department of Economic and Community Development, represents a sample of 128 municipalities that is surveyed every month by the U.S. Census. Once a year, the Census surveys all 169 towns and cities and typically releases those statistics each May for the previous year.
Still, the report today gives the first indication of a potential upturn in the state’s new home construction market. There have been false starts before, however: in 2010, the number of permits issued rose only to fall in 2011.
Today’s report also included a breakdown by type of housing. Buildings with five or more units led the way with 2,015, followed by single-family houses, with 1,997. Duplexes accounted for 66 units, while three- and four-family dwellings had 62 units.
By Kenneth R. Gosselin
Source: Hartford Courant/courant.com
