Ottawa new home construction sets new record in 2021
New home construction hit a record high in the city of Ottawa in 2021, with nearly 30 per cent of the new dwellings built in Ottawa's intensification target areas.
The 2021 Annual Development Report shows construction began on 9,402 new homes last year, up 1.8 per cent from 2020 and the most housing starts in a single year since amalgamation in 2000.
Single-detached homes accounted for 29.5 per cent of all new housing starts in Ottawa, up from 26.4 per cent of all starts in 2020.
Semi-detached homes accounted for 2.3 per cent of all home starts last year, while apartments accounted for 40.3 per cent of all home starts. The report says the proportion of semi-detached and row house starts decreased in 2021 from 2020.
Staff say the larger Ottawa-Gatineau area ranked fifth in "absolute housing starts" among Canada's six largest metropolitan areas in 2021, with 13,280 units built. While Ottawa-Gatineau saw a 1.9 per cent increase in housing starts last year, Calgary saw a 62 per cent increase in housing starts, followed by Montreal at 18.6 per cent.
Ottawa's existing Official Plan directs intensification to areas with high levels of transit service or where dwellings may be located close to employment areas. The report says 3,192 residential units were issued building permits in intensification targets areas, accounting for 28 per cent of net new units issued permits in Ottawa.
A total for 1,401 permits were issued around existing Rapid Transit Stations, while 1,181 units will be built around future LRT stations.
Council approved a new Official Plan in October 2021, establishing an increasing residential intensification target to 2035. The Official Plan is still under review by the Ontario government.
Ottawa's Development Report shows the average resale price of a new home was $645,976 in 2021, up 22 per cent from the year before. Ottawa's rental vacancy rate was 3.4 per cent.
The city of Ottawa's population increased 0.8 per cent in 2021 to 1,054,800. The downtown area saw the greatest population growth in 2021, up 11.7 per cent last year compared to a 2.9 per cent decrease the year before.
According to the report, 588,700 Ottawa residents were employed in 2021, with 182,000 residents working in "knowledge", 134,000 working for government and 84,000 employed in the retail sector. Staff say the "Industrial and Resource Cluster" saw the largest employment growth last year, with 12,900 new jobs. Ottawa's retail sector saw a decline of 3,000 jobs in 2021 from the year before.
The wards of Barrhaven and Gloucester-South Nepean had the highest ward populations in Ottawa.
The planning committee will receive the annual development report at its meeting on Aug. 25.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.