Alberta is seeing more new homes being built than ever before. In May alone, the province started building over 4,100 homes, which is the most in any single month on record.
From January to May this year, the province saw 17,673 homes begin construction. That’s a big increase from last year, showing Alberta is on track for a record year when it comes to home construction.
Edmonton is leading the way, with a huge jump of over 110% in new home starts compared to last year. Calgary is also keeping up with around 2,000 new homes started in May.
The government and builders are working together to make it easier and faster to get the homes built. They’ve been reducing red tape and incentivizing builders, which has helped speed up the process.
“This unprecedented growth shows the province is leading the country in having the fastest permit approval times and the fewest roadblocks to building homes. We will continue to support our housing partners and make sure we go from permits issued to shovels in the ground and finally to new homes ready for Albertans,” says Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community, and Social Services.
There has also been a spike in housing permits across the board, with a 36% increase in permits issued for single-detached homes and a 53% boost in permits issued for multi-residential dwellings.
The goal is to also improve affordable housing with $67.5 million directed towards 435 units of affordable housing that are currently under construction and a further $179 million for future unit construction.