More new homes were built in Kelowna last year than ever before, city figures show.
A total of 3,200 housing units were approved for construction in 2021, year-end building statistics indicate. It was the highest annual number on record.
About 1,000 were single-family homes and the rest were suites in multi-family developments.
The slowest year for home-building in Kelowna since 1989 was in 2011, in the aftermath of the recession, when just 423 new units were built.
In 2021, total building permits topped $1 billion for the first time, coming in at just under $1.2 billion.
By comparison, the City of Surrey, which has a population five times larger than Kelowna, issued building permits worth $1.9 billion last year.
Statistics Canada reported this week that Kelowna is the country’s fastest growing city, with a population increase of 14% in the past five years. Just over 222,000 people live in greater Kelowna, a category which includes West Kelowna, Lake Country, and Peachland.
