Sacramento-area homebuilders pulled about 2,300 permits for single-family homes last year, and that is much lower than the previous record low of about 4,000 in 2008. Both are a dramatic drop from the 18,700 permits in 2004, considered the peak of the housing boom. In fact, you would need to add the past three years to even come close to the figure of building permits issued in 2005.
California’s overall home construction also dropped to a record-low in 2009, and industry leaders expect the trouble to continue this year, with the second-worst performance. It’s sobering news for an industry that creates good-paying jobs, from architects and engineers to construction employees. The Sacramento region has lost almost 11,000 construction-related jobs during the past year, and about 116,000 statewide.