Data also shows new homes consented per 1,000 residents
Dwelling consents in New Zealand continue to break records month after month – with new homes consented in the June 2021 year hitting a record-high, the fourth consecutive month of rises, according to Statistics New Zealand (Stats NZ).
Stats NZ’s latest report on home consents showed 44,299 new homes consented in the June 2021 year – a significant increase from 41,028 in the March 2021 year, 42,848 in the April 2021 year, and 43,466 in the May 2021 year.
The report showed 19,777 new multi-unit homes consented in the June 2021 year, up 28% compared with the previous June year. It also recorded 24,522 new stand-alone houses, up 11% over the same period. Overall, the number of new homes consented rose 18% in the latest June year compared to the previous June year.
Stats NZ construction statistics manager Michael Heslop said the earlier high of 40,025 new homes consented in the year ended February 1974 was first exceeded in the March 2021 year.
“Much of the recent growth in the number of new homes consented has been multi-unit homes, such as townhouses, units, and apartments, particularly in Auckland,” Heslop said.
The report also noted growth in the number of new homes consented per 1,000 residents in the June 2021 year – 8.7 new homes consented per 1,000 residents for the year ended June 2021, up from 7.5 in the June 2020 year.
However, the record number of new homes consented per 1,000 residents was 13.4 in the year ended December 1973.
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On a monthly basis, the seasonally adjusted number of new homes consented rose 3.8% in June 2021, following a 2.4% fall in May 2021, according to Stats NZ.
In the June 2021 quarter, the seasonally adjusted number of new homes consented rose 9.3%, following a 2.3% rise in the March 2021 quarter.
Stats NZ clarified that the number of new homes consented each month can vary significantly due to the timing of large multi-home projects, such as apartment buildings.
Acting Minister for Building and Construction Michael Wood commented that Stats NZ’s latest report on new home consents in the country shows that the residential building sector is performing well to meet the demand for new houses.
“We’ve broken the record for the annual number of new homes consented yet again, and we’re starting to see a pattern here. This government is committed to supporting the sector so that we can deliver more homes than ever before,” he said.
“[The] figures demonstrate just how far we’ve come in the last year since facing the initial disruptions of COVID-19,” he continued. “Not only are we consenting more houses than ever before, but we are now seeing record numbers of building and construction apprentices in training.”
