Halifax residents hoping for relief from the citys tight rental market may have a long wait ahead of them.

Public records show that the pace at which the city issues new building permits for multi-unit dwellings may not be keeping pace with population levels.

The news comes in the wake of a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. report, released Wednesday, which found that rental vacancy rates have fallen to one per cent their lowest level on record, according to CMHC economist Kelvin Ndoro.

When we look at where the changes have been, affordability is an issue for people, says Ndoro. Vacancy rates dropped the most in more affordable areas outside mainland Halifax.

The CMHC data refers to vacancy rates in privately owned apartment buildings with three or more rental units.

Information obtained through Halifaxs Open Data website, separate from the CMHC report, shows that number of new residential units being approved by the city is still growing. Counting the three-unit and larger projects, 3,895 units were approved in 2019, compared to 2,836 the year before.

And the CMHC report says that there are more than 4,000 rental housing units currently under construction in the Halifax Regional Municipality, which is the highest level ever recorded. It also states, however, that nearly 1,000 fewer rental apartments were completed between June of 2018 and June of 2019 than were built during the previous year.

In terms of construction, we are on the right track, says Ndoro. It all depends on how much faster apartments are completed and rented out, in relation to how quickly demand increases.

But data from the Halifax Partnership economic development organization shows that the citys population has been growing at a rate of about 8,000 people annually in each of the last three years. The CMHC report found that these migration levels, both from within Canada and from abroad, is driving much of the decrease in vacancies.

According to Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia executive director Kevin Russell, most rental housing projects take several years to complete. And as the units already under construction are finished, the most acute demand may start to abate, possibly causing new projects to be slower in coming.

Ndoro adds: There is supply in the pipeline. Its just that supply takes a little bit longer than demand. Its difficult to say how many apartments are needed But definitely, we need more additions in the market than were currently having right now.

In 2016, according to Russell, it often took landlords 30 to 45 days to fill a vacant unit, and sometimes as many as 45 to 60 days. Now, most units are filled within a day or two.

Whats happening is what the industry calls back-to-backs, so someone is moving out and someone is moving in right after, says Russell.

According to Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, the rental crunch is partly the result of the city failing to take action soon enough: As the city has grown over the last number of years, we havent kept pace as much as people think we have.

But he cautions that building more apartments is only one of several possible strategies to address the rental shortage.

Other options are to permit the creation of rental units in areas where they were previously not permitted and to penalize landlords who fail to include affordable housing in new buildingsa tactic that he says will be included in the forthcoming second part of Halifaxs Centre Plan.

If they dont do it in their buildings, working with organizations like Housing Nova Scotia, we will charge them and take the money, which weve already begun to do, and use it to work with partners, says Savage. It could be some kind of a housing NGO, an organization that provides shelter to women or people with disabilities, and we will partner directly with them.

Risa Roberts, the provincial NDP housing critic, called for rent control in Nova Scotia to "properly regulated short-term rentals." She also said the province should support the development of more non-profit, cooperative and public housing.

"Average rent was up almost four per cent from $1,066 to $1,113 in Halifax, and up 3.6 per cent across the province. Already, 19 per cent of households spend 50 per cent or more of their income on housing and utilities, as these costs continue to rise that number will get even bigger," she said in a news release.

More here:
Construction in Halifax not keeping pace with apartment rental demand - TheChronicleHerald.ca

Ms McCarthy said residents of the apartment building were told on December 20 that building would begin in early January and take 12 months.

However, she said residents were only given details of the size of the building and the material used in its construction last week after work had already begun with the removal of the trees.

It's so depressing, she said. The big fig trees were just glorious. The irony of cutting down trees in the middle of bushfires just sends me spare.

Ms McCarthy also accused Defence of ignoring residents attempts to discuss the project before building works commenced.

I mean it's the arrogance and hubris of not responding to our letter, she said.

A Defence spokeswoman said the building works were part of a $286 million project to replace ageing and degraded substations.

Extensive community consultations were conducted in 2018 prior to a public inquiry into the project by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Work, she said. Defence continues to have ongoing and regular consultation with community members regarding the Base, with concerns raised being directly addressed with the affected residents.

While state planning laws do not apply to building projects on Commonwealth land, the spokeswoman said Defence had to comply with Commonwealth laws, which were similar in nature to the NSW planning rules.

But Andrew Woodhouse, the president of the Potts Point & Kings Cross Heritage & Residents' Society, said Defence had failed to adequately consult with its neighbours.

Mr Woodhouse outlined residents concerns about the bulk, size and design of the building, which he said was horrendous and looks like a Bunnings barn special in a letter to Defence.

Mr Woodhouse also said Defence had failed to investigate the potential negative impacts of the building on neighbours.

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Defence is arrogant, ignorant and negligent and may be subject to very large future legal claims from its staff and neighbours, he said.

Mr Woodhouse said residents were concerned about the risk damage to their apartment building.

The underhand manner in which defence has dealt with locals is risible, he said.

A spokeswoman for the City of Sydney said the council had not not received any updates from Defence about the project since April 2018.

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She said the council had strongly recommended Defence take measures to deal with potential issues such as noise, vibration, construction traffic and contaminants being washed into the harbour.

If the land was privately owned or under the jurisdiction of the city or state government, a development application for the project and proposed loss of two trees would have been required to be placed on public exhibition to allow the community to review and provide feedback, she said.

However, Alex Greenwich, the Independent member for Sydney, said the parliamentary committees scrutiny was unlikely to consider the impact of Defence building projects on adjacent neighbourhoods.

Mr Greenwich said any other developer would have to justify the removal of mature trees.

While Defence has national interests that warrant priority, there should be independent assessment and oversight of significant developments, most of which are not for urgent military outcomes, especially when neighbours are concerned about health, safety or amenity, he said.

Andrew Taylor is a Senior Reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Continued here:
'It's so depressing': Why this developer can ignore NSW planning laws - The Age

Phil Morrison, who heads up Clarions construction team, takes a look at some of the questions being raised in the wake of the Grenfell fire disaster three years ago.

There is understandable concern amongst the owners of apartments in high-rise buildings as to the level of financial liability that these owners may have for the replacement of the cladding to their high-rise building.

The fire safety of buildings is governed by overlapping legislation under the Housing Act 2014; the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) and Building Regulations. Under this legislation the responsibility for fire safety in apartment buildings can be imposed on the Landlord/Freehold Proprietor for the overall building, or the Management Company for the Common Parts and the Leaseholders for apartments and common parts.

As a result, it is likely that all of these parties will have responsibility for paying for (contributing to) the replacement of flammable cladding. However, there are various factors that influence where liability lies, and I would encourage those who are unsure to seek legal advice.

The potential claims that arise in this situation include a failure to meet the statutory obligations (mentioned above) for the design of the development, for the selection of materials used in the development and for the standard of workmanship used in the development.

The key issue is who a claim of this nature should be brought by and who it may be brought against. It will be important to establish the relevant facts, to understand how the particular cladding came to be installed and whether what was actually installed on the building is the same as what was specified to be installed. The parties and contracts to be identified are the developer, building contractor and design team.

It is unlikely that each of the leaseholders will have a direct contractual relationship with the parties who built and designed the building. Without this direct contractual relationship, any claim must be brought under the principal of negligence/tort. However, these are very difficult to win. The leaseholder may have a contractual claim against the developer/landlord.

The first point of call for leaseholders would be to review the NHBC/Zurich/Checkmate warranty issued in relation to the apartment, to see if this covers the cladding. Leaseholders will also need to look at the lease, freehold documentation and management company agreement which will set out the obligations and liabilities of each of the parties and what will be covered under the service charge. In addition, they will need to look at the insurance documentation. If leaseholders are unsure, it is important to seek legal advice.

If cladding complies with the Building Regulations in force at the time of construction, there is no requirement under the Regulations for upgrading existing fire safety measures to current standards. However, existing non-compliances with the current Building Regulations must not be made any worse in the course of alterations or building works. Powers also exist under the Building Regulations to require unauthorised material alterations to be rectified if a breach of the Regulations resulted from the work. At any time, an application can be made to the local authority building control for regularisation of unauthorised work carried out after 1985, enabling retrospective approval to be granted, subject to the work being satisfactory.

In the first instance, the Fire Marshalls will be appointed by the management company and the costs recouped from the leaseholders through the service charges. Such costs may be recoverable from any party who is responsible for non-compliance of the cladding, if it can be shown that the Fire Marshalls were required as a direct result of this non-compliance.

More here:
Flammable cladding an update from Clarions construction team - Business Up North

The City of Fredericton has approved two eight-storey apartment buildings for the Sunshine Gardens neighbourhood across from Odell Park.

This week, Fredericton's planning advisory committee approved the project through avariance, a process that doesn't require the approval of city council.

The 168-unit project willsit at the corner of Waggoners Lane and Rookwood Avenue across from the entrance to the park. The apartment buildings will also include a commercial use.

Work is expected to start in the spring, although dirt was already being piled at the site before the variance granted by the planning committee.

There wassome opposition tohaving large apartment buildings alter the neighbourhood so close to the park, but John MacDermid, a member of the planning committee, saidFredericton needs them.

"The face of our city is going to change," MacDermidsaid Thursday.

"I think we can be nostalgic about it and say, 'Look I want to keep it the same.' But the reality is as our economy grows and as the city grows we have to find a place to put these folks."

Right now,the properties at 264 and 270 Rookwood Ave.are both vacant.

Year after year,MacDermid said up to 1,500 people move to New Brunswick's capital city, andtheapartment buildings will help the city cope with the growth.

The city's population is expected to grow by24,000 in the next two decades.

MacDermid said about 8,000 of those people will be living in the core, which extends up to the intersection where the apartment buildings will be built. And he expects more apartment buildings to pop up in coming years.

"It's a reality, our city is changing," said MacDermid.

The councillor said Frederictonalso has one of the lowest apartment vacancy rates in New Brunswick, at around 1.7 per cent.

MacDermid acknowledged the mixed reaction to the project, including from two residents who shared their thoughts at this week's committeemeeting.

He has also received some emailsexpressing concerns about the project, which included the buildings' closeness to Odell Park.

But a staff report to the committee also includedletters of support, including a letter from Jim Morell.

He said there were too many "boxy buildings in the city," adding Fredericton needed more "architecturally unique and eye-appealing, modern-looking structures," which he suggested was what's being proposed by architect and project applicant Ann Scovil.

Another letter from Chris Miller said the new buildings would allow easy access to Odell Park, the local trail system and businesses in the area.

Only residents living within 30 metres of the planned buildings received letters notifying them of the development.

The city's zoning bylawpermits more than one larger-scalebuilding on the lot, according to a staff report.

But any changes with zoning amendments are required to go through council, which has final approval.

According New Brunswick's Community Planning Act,a variance canbe voted on at a planning advisory committee.

"It's being used exactly how the zoning bylaw outlines for it to be used," MacDermid said. "It's just changing the parameters."

Those parameters include variances in density that would accommodate the additional units, a three-metre variance in buildingheight, additional space for parking and a side yard setback to permit construction.

Wayne Knorr, a spokesperson for the city, said variances can be for a number of different projects that don't have to go through council, such as someone building a shed on their property.

The staff report also saysthe new apartment buildings could speed up a new roundabout that was expected to be built atWaggoners Lane and Rookwood Avenue for 2022.

Depending on a traffic study, budget approval and land acquisition, a new roundabout could now be built by 2021.

The rest is here:
8-storey apartment buildings next to Odell Park in Fredericton win approval - CBC.ca

Permits to build new apartment buildings in the U.S. are surging as a bulging population of millennials fuels demand for rentals and low interest rates ease construction financing costs.

Authorizations for larger multifamily dwellings those with five or more units jumped to an average annualized pace of 501,000 in the three months through November, according to government data Tuesday, Dec. 17. That's the highest since July 2015. Prior to that year, which was a hot one for condos and apartments, it's the strongest since 1987.

The rental market is booming as young people leave dorm rooms and their parents' basements to strike out on their own. Baby boomers are also downsizing from single-family homes. At the same time, lower interest rates are making it easier for homebuilders who want to meet this demand for rental properties.

"Clearly, we're seeing some re-acceleration in multifamily," Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders, said by phone. "It's a bit of surprise."

There are 76 million people in the U.S. who have recently entered or will be entering the housing market, mostly as renters, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council. That suggests a lot of pent-up demand and a positive outlook for the sector.

The data indicate multifamily housing permits are set to buoy overall home building data in the fourth quarter and into 2020, as it takes between one to two months for permits to transition to starts. At the same time, high construction costs and a shortage of workers could create delays in commencing construction.

Originally posted here:
Apartment building permits soar to a four-year high amid rental boom - Crain's Cleveland Business

Construction on Emma Ave. in Springdale is underway. It'll be the site of 26 apartments in mixed-use area

by: Ninette Sosa

SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA) The City of Springdale is creating more living space for people in one of its fastest growing areas.

The Emma Building Group broke ground on the first mixed-use, multi-family apartment complex in the citys downtown area.

Located on Emma Avenue, the 26-unit apartment complex is Phase One of a larger project the building group has planned for the corridor.

The project will create more walking availability in the Downtown area. There will be access to the Razorback Greenway along with commercial and office spaces.

So were going to have commercial on the front bottom floor, residential upstairs and behind. So you get good traffic all day long, said Emma Building Groups Tom Lundstrum.

The building group say plans for occupancy are for late 2020, with pre-leasing slated for spring 2020.

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Construction underway for mixed-use apartments on Emma Ave. - KNWA

A five story, 114-unit apartment building set to open in 2021 will round out Hubbell Realty Co.'s rental offerings in the Bridge District, a rapidly developing neighborhood in the East Village.

Located on the north end of the development near Interstate 235, the Level building will have a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Construction of the $26.9 million apartment building is expected to begin in early 2020.

The Bridge District is on the east bank of the Des Moines River, stretching from Des Moines Street to Interstate 235and from Robert D. Ray Drive to East Fourth Street.

Level, the last apartment planned for the Bridge District, will have 114 units in five stories.(Photo: Hubbell Realty Co./Special to the Register)

The16-acre developmentis considered downtown Des Moines' only neighborhood in the traditional sense, with front doors and flower pots lining thenarrow streets where one-story warehouses once stood.

By 2025, when the company expects the neighborhood to be completed, the Bridge District will have nearly 500 housing units.

More: The newest downtown Des Moines neighborhood is so popular people are buying homes before the foundation is poured

Like the neighborhood's existing apartment buildings, Level will offer a wide array of amenities,includingindoor, climate-controlled parking, an indoor and outdoor fitness area, bicycle and kayak storage, a dog park and an "oversized patio" off the fifth-floor mezzanine, according to Hubbell Realty Co.

Level, the last apartment planned for the Bridge District, will have 114 units in five stories.(Photo: Hubbell Realty Co./Special to the Register)

The company is scheduled to present its design plans to the city's Urban Design Review Board on Tuesday.

Staff have worked with Hubbell Realty Co. on the design features of Levelbecause the building will be "highly visible on all sides, including prominent viewshedsfrom both banks of the Des Moines River," according to a city memo.

Level's building materials will have visual interest, as well as prominent landscape features, a streetscape, and a "visually interesting" curvature of the private drive, the memo says.

Ten percent of the units will be affordable torenters earning approximately 80% of the area median income. That's an annual salary of $49,000 for a single person and $56,000 for a family of two, according to the Polk County Housing Trust Fund.

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The Bridge District caters to a mix of homeowners and renters. Two apartment buildings, Verve and Velocity, have a total of 243 units. Velocity is 100% occupied; Verve is 93%.

Hubbell Realty Co. has sold 42 townhomes in a development known as The Bankssince 2017. Forty-four are complete; another 10 are under construction.

The 1,800- to 3,500-square feet townhomes come in a variety of floor plans, ranging in price from$375,000 to $750,000.

Constructions of athird phase of townhomes is expected to start in 2020. There will be a total of 120 owner-occupied townhomes in the Bridge District.

Kim Norvell covers growth and development for the Register. Reach her at knorvell@dmreg.com or 515-284-8259.

Your subscription makes work like this possible. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal.

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Five-story, 114-unit apartment building planned for the Bridge District in the East Village - Des Moines Register

The second apartment building could open in February, said Killgore, who gave The Times a tour of the property this week.

When completed, the complex will feature a four-story main building in the center of the property that will house amenities, clubhouse and leasing offices. Amenities include an outdoor pool, fitness area, outdoor grills and fire pit, cyber cafe, pet spa and dog park.

The idea is for (the complex) to feel like a resort, Killgore said.

The development will feature 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units, and for an extra charge, residents can rent a garage. Apartment rental rates werent available.

The complex will feature carriage units where residents wont have neighbors living above or below them just next to them.

Everything will be done by July, Killgore said.

The company was attracted to Gainesville because there has been significant job growth in this market with very little (apartment) supply delivered, he said.

Excerpt from:
When The Mill at New Holland apartment complex will open to residents - Gainesville Times

Proposed rendering of 324 Macon Street as it appears on the Macon Street streetscape./Image Credit: Gerald J. Caliendo Architects

The applicants and Landmarks staff will work together to modify details for the proposed building. On December 3, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness to construct a new three-story residential building on a vacant lot at 324 Macon Street, Brooklyn, located within the Bedford Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District.

The lot was formerly the site of a three-story building which was built around 1889 and was demolished around 1967. The former building was designed by William Zang, the architect who designed the nearby 326 Macon Street and 330 Macon Street rowhouses.

The new building is designed by Gerald J. Caliendo Architects. Lakshmi Samlal of Gerald J. Caliendo Architects stated that the architects tried to replicate the style and details of 326 and 330 Macon Street in the buildings proposed design while adhering to zoning bulk regulations on the 324 Macon Street lot.

Left Image: 326 Macon Street/Image Credit: Google MapsRight Image: 330 Macon Street and detail of door/Image Credit: Gerald J. Caliendo Architects

In the proposed design, the new building has a brownstone colored cast stone front faade with a Neo-Greco style cornice with geometric ornament on top of the building. The cornice was modeled off of the cornice on the 326 Macon Street building. The front faade has wood single hung windows with pediments and cast stone surrounds that span across the third-floor faade and one single hung window will be on the east side of the second-floor faade. Two bay windows stacked on the other span vertically on the west side of the building from the first-floor faade to the second-floor faade on the west side. The bay windows have metal paneling that is painted to match the front faades brownstone color. The door is a brown Neo-Greco style single entry door with pediments and cast stone surrounds modeled after the door of the 330 Macon Street building. The stairs leading up to the door are tinted concrete that matches the brownstone color. An iron railing is included in front of the building and it matches the railing in front of 326 Macon Street. The rear faade of the building is grey stucco.

The new building will be located within the Bedford Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District. The district is predominantly characterized by row houses and small apartment buildings with ground floor commercial space built in the late-19th century. The streetscape of Macon Street where the lot is located is characterized by Neo-Greco, Italianate, and Romanesque Revival style brownstone row houses. The significant architectural features found on these buildings include cornices with geometric ornaments, stucco rear-facades, iron railings, and door and windows framed with pediments.

Vice Chair Frederick Bland stated that the proposed design is a replication that just misses and believed that more work needs to be done to ensure the design details are more appropriate for the district. Commissioner Michael Goldblum also agreed and recommended that the rear faade should be brick instead of stucco.

Brittany Thomas testified on behalf of the Historic Districts Council. The Historic Districts Council believed that the proposed doorway is not acceptable for the building and explained that 330 Macon Streets door design would have been appropriate for the proposed buildings door if the door was a double entry door like 330 Macon Street.

Evelyn Colliers, Brooklyn Community Board 3s Landmarks Committee Chair, testified on behalf of the committee. Brooklyn Community Board 3s Landmarks Committee believed that doorway was inappropriate for the proposed building and the bay windows were too large compared to other bay windows in the district.

Landmarks voted to approve the certificate of appropriateness, however, Landmarks Chair Sarah Carroll asked that the applicants work with Landmarks staff to modify the buildings design details in order for the building to fit better with the streetscape. Specifically, the Commission recommended the buildings rear faade to be brick rather than stucco and wanted to refine the details of the buildings bay windows, cornice, iron railing, and entrance infill.

By: May Vutrapongvatana (May is the CityLaw Fellow and New York Law School Graduate, Class of 2019).

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Landmarks Approves New Building Construction in Bedford Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights HD, Brooklyn - CityLand

The fire in the Lacrosse building in 2014 Melbourne heralded the beginning of intense focus on the quality of building work in Australia.

2020 will see that focus continue. Many of the Victorian Governments taskforce findings and recommendations are now making their way into policies and proposals for long term structural changes in the regulation of building work. Many in the development and construction industry are also taking a pro-active approach in seeking to identify more effective ways of producing quality, compliant buildings and not relying on regulation to achieve that.

In 2020, we expect to see:

For a building project with a value of $25 million, the additional levy will add approximately $205,000 to the cost of the development. Those funds will be used by Cladding Safety Victoria for the rectification of extreme and high risk buildings with non-compliant external cladding;

Link:
Combustible cladding and other building defects - what does 2020 hold for the industry? - Lexology