BOSTON—At the halfway point of 2015, the value of housing starts reached $1.65 billion in the city, a 138% increase from the same period last year.

The value of housing starts as of June 30, 2014 was $692 million. City officials report that as of June 26, 2015 there were 2,461 housing units permitted, compared to 1,759 units permitted as of June 30, 2014—a 40% increase over last year. This year's permit volume was 184% higher than in 2013 when just 1,333 units of housing were permitted by June 26 of that year.

"I am extremely pleased by the efforts that have taken place across city agencies to ensure that we are able to meet our housing goals," says Boston Mayor Martin Walsh. "The only way that we will be able to sustain the growth of our city, and our workforce, is by staying focused on our goals and streamlining our processes."

"This level of investment in Boston's housing market is extraordinary," notes chief of housing Sheila Dillon. "As we work to make sure that Boston stays affordable, bringing new units on line at a variety of income levels is critical. Last quarter, nearly half of Boston's housing starts were at the middle income level, and nearly a quarter of this year's housing starts are affordable to lower-income households.”

According to figures supplied by the city, 18% (451) of all new permitted units thus far in 2015 are deed-restricted affordable housing, up 25% from last year (360 units) and 80% above the 2013 volume (251 units). South Boston and the Seaport District registered the highest number of units produced: 915 total and 124 affordable; followed by East Boston, with 374 units, 13 of which were affordable; and Dorchester, with 337 total units and 51 affordable units permitted.

The Walsh administration credited the city's Inspectional Services Department with helping facilitate the increase in housing construction activity in the city. Specifically, city officials note that the ISDA has instituted policies to streamline the permitting processes that has enabled it to process permits much more quickly.

In 2014, ISD formed a partnership with the City of Boston's Department of Innovation Technology to significantly upgrade the permitting process. This collaborative effort has helped modernize and streamline the building and zoning application process, the Walsh administration states. In addition, ISD has developed a Zoning Advisory Sub-Committee, which is responsible for expediting the appeals process involving one- and two-family owner-occupied dwellings and small businesses applying for limited zoning relief. Other departmental upgrades have included extending the hearing hours of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the installation of digital kiosks for processing Board of Appeal applications.

Earlier this year, Mayor Walsh released his administration's first progress report on his administration's goal of creating 53,000 new units of housing by 2030. The plan released last October called for increased transparency into housing policy and the quarterly releases of housing data and an end of year annual report.