Home Demolitions Declined Each Year Since 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – Fewer residential demolition permits have been issued each year since 2016, figures from the city of Portland show.

The city’s Bureau of Development Services in 2020 issued 139 residential demolition permits, which allow demolition or deconstruction of single-family homes and duplexes. That’s less than half the quantity of permits issued during the recent peak year of 2016, when the city issued 378 home demolition permits.

Compiled by The Portland Chronicle, data provided by City of Portland

After rising in 2014 and 2015 to hit that 2016 peak, demolition permits have fallen each year. The Bureau of Development Services issued 296 home demolition permits in 2017, 268 in 2018, 164 in 2019 and 139 last year.

Commercial demolitions have seen more fluctuation. They hit a recent peak of 157 commercial demolition permits issued in 2017, before falling significantly in 2018, rising again in 2019 and falling to 67 permits issued in 2020.

Compiled by The Portland Chronicle, data provided by City of Portland