After another dull month, construction activity in the Twin Cities metro so far this year now lags 2013. During September, builders were issued 436 permits to build 791 housing units compared with 481 permits to build 1,424 units last year, according to new data released this morning by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC).

So far this year, 3,649 permits were issued to build 6,908 units compared with 3,946 permits to build 7,512 units last year.

While demand for new houses in the Twin Cities has been disappointing to builders who expected to busier than they were last year, the industry has outperformed 2010-2012 by nearly double. This year, however, construction of both single-family houses and rental apartments has been relatively volatile. That's especially true for apartments, which represented half of all planned units last month. (A single permit can be issued to build more than one unit).

Shawn Nelson, president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, said many builders are disappointed. "Early reports suggest that traffic to Parade Homes was relatively flat, yet interest in buying may be showing some improvement," he said. "We're watching the fall political races closely, hoping to help elect candidates that support housing and understand the tremendous impact that a vibrant residential construction industry has on the local economy."

This month, Woodbury issued 116 permits - the most in the metro. Savage ranked second with 102 units, followed by Shoreview (58 units), Minneapolis (57) and Eagan (54).