Number of Denver metro building permits falling

DENVER (KDVR) — Building has slowed around metro Denver to levels unseen since the early days of the COVID pandemic, particularly with the exact kind of homes local and state leaders are trying to encourage.

The U.S. Census Bureau tracks the number of building permits in the largest U.S. metro areas. The Denver area was experiencing a boom in the number of monthly permits through 2021, but that has fallen through the beginning of 2023.

There were 1,094 residential buildings of any size permitted in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area in March 2023 – the fewest since May 2020.

Building permits had swelled to nearly 3,500 in December 2021 and have declined ever since. There were half as many…