INDIANA (WEHT) – In Indiana, more people are building a future from the ground up rather than spending time house hunting. The U.S. Census Bureau found the number of building permits issued in January is at its highest since 2006. Fifteen years ago, the number of permits pulled was just over 1,100. It rose about 25% this year to nearly 1,400. But December of 2020 actually saw the highest number of permits pulled with 1,600.
State officials said while the demand remains strong for new home construction building material costs continue to threaten the growth of the housing industry. Some factors include increasing lumber and labor costs and a low inventory of homes for sales.
(This story was originally published on March 4, 2021)