More additional residential units built in Sarnia in 2024

Sarnia saw a jump in additional residential units built in 2024.

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The city issued 30 permits for projects such as converting basements or detached garages into living spaces last year, a recent report shows.

Those permits resulted in 31 units built.

That compares to 14 additional residential units built in 2023, and 18 in 2022.

The $2.1 million in construction value for those permits in 2024 is a fraction of the $168.1 million value of all building permits issued last year for single-detached, commercial, industrial, pool and agricultural builds, among others.

However, almost doubling the number of additional dwelling units is a welcome change, amid a shortage of housing options in Sarnia and elsewhere in the country, said city planning manager Eric Hyatt.

A provincial decision allows up to three additional residential units per parcel of residential land, he said.

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“It’s certainly something that we are excited to see occur in the City of Sarnia,” he said. “It does provide a new built form and different form of accommodation that contributes to options in the city.”

The construction value of permits issued in 2024 represents a $42-million increase compared to 2023, when $126.4 million was issued.

Big in 2024 were $66.2-million in institutional permits for 130 rooms at Trillium Villa Nursing Home, Hyatt said.

Institutional permits were valued at $13.2 million in 2023.

There also has been an increase in the number of apartment units being built, he said.

“Which is kind of reflective of the planning applications that we’ve been evaluating and council has been supporting the last couple of years.”

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There were 132 apartment units valued at $35.4 million permitted in 2024, compared to 122 valued at $33 million in 2023, and 106 valued at $26 million in 2022.

Overall, permit construction value in 2023 was $126.4 million, down from $163.5 million in 2022.

Meanwhile, single-detached home building has declined.

There were 21 single detached units to get permits in 2024, down from 36 in 2022, and 72 in 2022, city reports show.

In October, an updated report on Sarnia’s residential development pipeline showed, of the nearly 3,000 lots and units approved since 2007, about 2,300 units remain in the development pipeline, as developers haven’t yet applied for a building permit.

Generally, after council approval, applicants have to go through site plan and plan of subdivision or plan of condominium steps before applying, Hyatt said.

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“Once they get through that (council approval) process, (the UN is) back on the applicant to take the next step,” he said.

Between January and October, there were 150 units created in Sarnia, according to the latest data via a provincial tracking site for Ontario’s housing-target program.

Sarnia’s target in 2024 was 83, so the 180.7 per cent mark achieved through 10 months puts the city on pace to receive up to $1 million, city ​​officials have said.

Sarnia received $400,000 for 254 units in 2023, smashing a 73-unit target.

Sarnia has pledged to start 1,000 units by 2031 as part of the province’s 1.5-million-unit plan.

Sarnia’s mayor received strong mayor powers as part of the pledge.

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