The value of building permits issued in Summerland in 2024 is down significantly from recent years, according to the year-end statistics from the municipality's department of development services.

In 2024, the municipality issued 194 building permits, with a total construction value of $35,189,132.

This is the lowest dollar value for building permits within the past five years. 

By comparison, in 2021, Summerland issued 203 building permits with a total construction value of $58,088,300. This is the highest construction value on record for a single year in Summerland.

In 2022, the municipality issued 231 permits 鈥� the most ever issued in a single year 鈥� with a total construction value of $42,995,000. 

In 2023, Summerland issued 185 building permits, with a total construction value of $47,125,023.

In a report to Summerland council, Brad Dollevoet, director of development services, said several factors contributed to the lower construction value in 2024.

鈥淓conomic factors such as high interest rates, tight lending conditions and lukewarm demand for new housing units were defining factors resulting in less local construction activity,鈥� he said in a report to council. 鈥淚n addition, a number of new projects that were expected to proceed in 2024 did not.鈥�

These projects included a 40-unit townhouse project on Jubilee Road and affordable housing projects on Henry Avenue and Dickson Avenue. Most of these projects are expected to be deferred to 2025.

Projects completed or nearing completion in 2024 included the final phase of the Landry Crescent project, the Summerland Secondary School gym, the Oasis condominium project and a 12-unit townhouse project on Elliot Street.

The building projects issued in 2024 included 36 residential construction permits. There were 26 permits for single-family dwellings, four for carriage homes, four for secondary suites, one for a multiple-family residential building and two for multiple-family residential units. 

Dollevoet said the construction of multi-family housing units can add to the community鈥檚 housing diversity and present options to help deal with the housing crisis identified in the municipality鈥檚 2024 Housing Needs Report.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hoped that 2024 will provide more supply of housing type diversity with planned multi-family projects expected to move forward with construction early in the year,鈥� he said in his report.

Residential building permits issued in 2024 are lower than in past years, with 59 issued in 2023, 87 in 2022, 115 in 2021, 68 in 2020 and 141 in 2023.

There were 54 permits for residential renovations and additions, which is close to the 2023 figure of 44 permits. Another 15 permits were issued for garages.

Permits were also issued for 10 commercial renovations and additions and three agricultural buildings.