Job growth from 1993 through the present has meant a significant increase in housing demand and development. A total of 20,079 single-family permits were issued through September 1997, only 0.6 percent below 1996 for the same period. Multifamily permit activity from 1990 through 1993 averaged 4,000 units annually. Beginning in 1994 and continuing through 1996, apartment construction went into high gear, with multi-family permits averaging approximately 13,250 units annually. The pace of strong growth increased during the first 9 months of 1997, with permits issued for 12,568 units, almost 60 percent above the first 9 months of 1996.
Development is now much more widespread though still primarily centered in the northern suburbs.
Lewisville and Far North Fort Worth are attracting a lot of developer interest. In response to increased demand and market acceptance, additional rental housing is under construction in Dallas and Fort Worth. In Fort Worth most of the development is new construction on the fringes of downtown. Current apartment occupancy rates in the Metroplex are approximately 93 percent.