More homes going up in Utah cities

LAYTON -- Single-family home construction is on the rise in central Davis County because of tax credits for firsttime home buyers, lending institutions having more available funds and builders offering more starter homes, officials say.

North Ogden is also experiencing gains in the number of single-family home-building permits issued in 2009, while Ogden and West Haven, respectively, report permits being about even or slightly down compared with last year.

The home-building permit increases in Layton, Kaysville and Clearfield are encouraging to those cities' officials, who say they are a sign of economic growth.

"It shows we are headed the right direction, we are heading out of this," said Layton economic specialist Ben Hart.

The number of single-family building permits issued in Layton is up 10 percent over 2008, not including permits issued this month, Hart said. Permit gains should boost consumer confidence.

Single-family building permits are linked to the economy, as each permit generates home construction that creates jobs, which in turn creates a multiplying economic effect, Hart said.