Roger Hannigan Gilson in the Times Union reports that in Greene County, the number of new permits for single-family homes rose 57.4 percent in 2021, and rose 42.3 percent in Columbia County. The Greene County percentage was the fourth-highest rise in the state. Those were the largest number of new permits issued in Greene County since 2009, and in Columbia County since 2008, according to a report by the Center for Economic Growth, a Capital Region-based business development nonprofit. And Greene County's population rose 1.3 percent last year, while Columbia County's population rose by .4 percent. Demand for new homes far outstrips supply in both counties, which has led to a surge in prices with the average value of a home rising 20 percent in Greene County last year. Center for Economic Growth Chief Economic Development Officer Katie Newcombe said she was "not sure if the new permits are enough to satisfy that demand." Read more about this story in the Times Union reports.