For Immediate Release, Wednesday, November 15, 2006
 

Parish Announces October Permit Numbers 

            The St. Tammany Parish Permits Department issued 194 single family home new construction permits in the month of October, an increase from 163 in September.  The total single family permits issued to date in 2006 is 1,856, a decrease of 20 permits from the same time period in 2005 and a decrease of 502 permits from 2004, which posted the highest annual total in the past ten years. 

            “Construction on many of the new homes that had permits issued in 2004 and 2005 was delayed due to Katrina,” said Parish President Kevin Davis.  “When we combine with the shortage of labor and difficulty in obtaining insurance, this slow down is expected.  The homebuilding industry is still very strong in St. Tammany and I expect that with the release of the Road Home funding, most of St. Tammany’s current and approved housing inventory will be taken.” 

            “The parish will invest over $100 million in road improvements in 2007,” continued Davis, “to ease the traffic congestion on our major arteries.  We are trying to get ahead of our growth curve.  St. Tammany’s population explosion post-Katrina has accelerated our ten-year capital plan.” 

            Commercial construction permits reached 454 year-to-date in October, equal to the total number issued in all of 2004.  This number is eleven permits ahead of the comparable time period in 2005. 

            Mobile home permits, year-to-date, number 436.  This number is on track to be the highest annual mobile home permit number in the past five years.  “Given the storm impact, this increase is expected,” said Planning Director Sidney Fontenot.  

            Additional information about the St. Tammany Parish Permits Department is available at www.stpgov.org/permits/.   

###