Auckland records strongest year ever for housing consents

The city’s annual new dwellings exceeded 17,000 for the first time

Auckland records strongest year ever for housing consents

Things are looking up for Auckland as the city’s council consented 1,410 new dwellings in January 2021, bringing annual new dwellings over 17,000 for the first time.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the 17,100 new dwellings consented in the city represented a 14% increase over the previous 12 months and the highest figure they have seen for decades. On seasonally adjusted figures, January 2021 was the second-strongest month for dwelling consent issuance recorded in Auckland.

“Current levels of home building are now above what is required to keep up with population growth. This will help to reduce the shortage of housing in Auckland that has been affecting the city for some years,” Mayor Goff said.

Mayor Goff said the ongoing shift to medium-density homes had driven the significant growth in homes consented in January, “demonstrating the impact that Auckland’s Unitary Plan is having to help create a more compact and well-designed city.”

“Auckland also accounted for 98% of all growth in new dwellings consented in New Zealand in the last year, indicating that the city is playing a strong role in leading New Zealand’s construction-led recovery from the COVID-19 crisis,” he continued.

Auckland Council’s Regulatory Committee Chair, Councillor Linda Cooper, added: “The number of dwelling consents being issued in Auckland continues to break new records. Importantly, it is now at a level high enough to start eating into the city’s housing shortfall.”

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