Fewer residential building permits were issued in the first 11 months of 2006 in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties than in the prior year, continuing a downward trend, according to the Construction Industry Research Board.

Santa Barbara County governments combined issued 769 residential permits from January to November, about 70 new homes per month, according to board figures.

That is down 17.3 percent from the same period in 2005, when permits were down 30 percent from 2004, and represents nearly a 50 percent drop in two years.

Most residential development in Santa Barbara County is occurring in unincorporated areas, with 43 percent of all residential permits there. Santa Maria issued 23 percent and the city of Santa Barbara, 10.6 percent.

In San Luis Obispo County through November 2006, governments combined issued 1,473 residential permits, about 133 per month. That is down 20 percent from 2005, when 14 percent fewer permits were issued than in 2004.

Most residential growth in San Luis Obispo County is also in the unincorporated area, with 43 percent of all residential permits; Paso Robles issued 15.4 percent and Atascadero, 15.3 percent.

The 769 residential permits issued in Santa Barbara County and the 1,473 issued in San Luis Obispo makes a total of 2,242 new homes in the two counties in the first 11 months of 2006. Local governments in both counties would have to permit about 2,400 new homes per year to meet normal population growth, according to state Housing and Community Development estimates.

Jerry Bunin, government affairs director for the Home Builders Association, attributed some of the falling permit totals to the housing market slowdown and some to government land use policies, zoning and a lengthy development approval process as well as a lack of public support for higher-density projects.

Statewide, 152,551 building permits were issued from January to November 2006, down 21.9 compared to the same period in 2005, when 195,384 were issued.

Jan. 5, 2007