Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

Building permits and construction value in the Town of Saugeen Shores reached all-time highs in 2021 with 526 permits approved and a total construction value of $154 million. In a January 24 media release, this surpasses the Town’s 2019 record of $120 million and exceeds the $106 million five year average.

The 2021 total includes residential, commercial, agricultural, and other new builds as well as renovations, additions, and demolitions; and includes 207 new single-family homes, surpassing the previous record of 132.

Mayor Luke Charbonneau said that Council is focussed on leveraging this growth to increase housing affordability and improve the quality of life in Saugeen Shores.

The media release went on to say that with new lands serviced and ready to build, there are new areas for growth and it is expected that 2022 will be another "strong year" for residential housing.

"Higher density units, such as apartments, townhomes, and duplexes can help improve affordability and provide more options than the single-detached units that currently dominate the market," read the release, adding that the Town has been working with developers to negotiate items that promote affordability and accessibility, including developments with a percentage of rental or below-market units, units with three and four bedrooms, features such as accessible entrances and amenities as well as support for the development of alternative forms from single-family houses.