Oregon Housing Permits Through May: 2021 Total Permits and Single Family Permits Were Both 2nd Highest in Last 15 Years.

In early 2020 I did a post HERE with an Excel file that contained preliminary monthly housing permit data for all of Oregon's permitting jurisdictions from 2001-2019. 

I have updated that data with a new Excel file HERE with data through May of 2021. As before all data is from HUD's permit data site HERE. 

This new workbook opens to a pivot table (red tab color) that shows annual permit counts for the state. 

Users can select specific specific months and jurisdictions and can also choose or exclude the 23 metro Portland permitting jurisdictions. Note: The default view is for first 5 months through May--IF you want to see full year data just select "ALL" in the month pull down. 

The workbook also includes the data in the PDF file I reference below and several worksheets that drill down to City of Portland permit data. 

In the PDF HERE and embedded below I show data through May for each of the last 15 years; this is NOT full year data, only data for the first 5 months of each year. [The PDF layout is landscape you may want to download/print instead of viewing in your browser]. 

I  also highlight statewide, Metro Portland, and City of Portland best to worst rankings. 

Some observations: 

Best to Worst Rankings Though May, Last 15 Years

• Statewide.  All permits, 2nd; SF permits, 2nd; MF permits 6th.
• Metro Jurisdictions: All permits, 9th; SF permits, 2nd; MF permits 10th.
• City of Portland: All permits, 9th; SF permits, 15th (Worst); MF permits 7th.

[PG 2] Best to Worst Rankings Through May, Metro's Statewide Share,  Last 15 Years: 

• 23 Metro jurisdictions: All permits, 13th; SF permits, 11th;  MF permits 15th (Worst).

[PG 2] Best to Worst Ranking Through May, City of Portland Share of Metro's Portland Permits, Last 15 Years: 

• All permits, 10th; SF permits, 15th (Worst);  MF permits 4th.

Additional Observations:

In 2021 through May, 

Statewide

• The 4,517 SF units permitted were 38% higher than the 3,271 MF units permitted.

Portland Metro 

• There were only 57 permits issued for 2-4 units; 23 were in the City of Portland. 
• 1,281 SF units was second highest permit count in the last 15 years, but still lower than 1,411 multifamily units permitted. 

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.