Area housing construction is on pace to top 2014 totals

The homebuilding market in the Kansas City area is on track to surpass last year’s totals, boosted by construction activity on the Missouri side of the state line.

The Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City on Tuesday reported that 459 permits for single-family homes were issued in October, down 9 permits from the same period in 2014.

Through the first 10 months of 2015, residential permits totaled 3,909, the association said. That’s up 278 units from last year’s 10-month total.

For all of 2014, 4,271 permits were issued for single-family homes.

The multifamily housing market also remained active, as builders added 449 units in October. That brings the 10-month total to 2,970.

The association noted that area builders have been “gradually increasing activity” to replenish the new-home inventory.

The strongest part of the new-home market has been in Missouri, with Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties recording a 20 percent increase in construction through the first 10 months from the comparable period in 2014. That offset a 4 percent decline in housing construction in Johnson, Wyandotte, Leavenworth and Miami counties in Kansas.

The five busiest cities in October were Kansas City, Olathe, Overland Park, Lee’s Summit and Lenexa.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Area housing construction is on pace to top 2014 totals."