WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Town of Kingsville has reached a record-number of new homes built in 2020, and the resale market booming too.
Kingsville Mayor Santos said in an “unprecedented year” the town has seen an increase in homes with a more than 50 per cent increase in new residential homes from 2019 to 2020.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “We saw 478 permits issued in a year of lockdowns and certainly holdbacks from being able to move forward to see the development and investment in the community is amazing.”
With 162 new homes built, the town saw about $80 million worth of new residential value. On top of that, 70 acres of new greenhouse development and another $34 million invested in traditional agriculture construction.
Susan Reaume, a sales representative with the Dan Gemus Real Estate Team says it’s not exclusive to new builds.
“Resale is just as booming, but it seems to be a trend now that building is really taking a push,” she says.
Reaume says many want out of the city and Kingsville and Amherstburg rank high for desirability and affordability, if new homes are in your price range.
“I think people just want more land they want more area, more area to spread their wings and they like the idea of having a new build because they don’t have to compete most times,” she said.
Santos says growth is paying for growth, with about 10 per cent of the tax bill collected last year being from the new developments.
The challenge to is now build more affordable housing, and to find space to put it.
“There isn’t a lot of inventory,” Santos said. “There aren’t a lot of accessible places whether its apartments, condos, townhomes and new houses there just isn’t a huge availability.”
He tells CTV News the town is eyeing Cottam to create 293 new homes in the near future.
