On the eve of the first anniversary of Hurricane Rita, storm damage repairs continue to contribute to a banner year for area home builders, said Anderson, president of the Home Builders Association of Southeast Texas.

"A lot of business is people who got their insurance money and they're spending it," Anderson said. "If you had asked me that after Rita, I would have said about a year, but it's still going strong."

In Beaumont, the city's Public Works Department's building codes division issued 174 Rita-related residential permits and 11 such commercial permits in August, office records show.

The numbers gradually have tailed off from a peak of more than 1,600 residential permits and more than 160 commercial within the first month of Rita's landfall last September.

Barbara Mulroy, director of the Associated General Contractors of Southeast Texas, estimated that about 60 percent of Rita-related repairs have been made, and that builders can expect to milk about another two years with the rest.

As Rita repairs wrap up, builders will be able to take advantage of the region's good housing market that so far has shrugged off the declines experienced nationwide.

She said strong building numbers reflect area leaders' commitment to balanced development, or ensuring that needs in housing, education, recreation and infrastructure meet growing demand as area industry brings in jobs.

A large part of that development will be helping lower- and middle-income homeowners with rehabilitating their Rita-damaged homes, and creating affordable housing, Beaumont Mayor Guy Goodson said.

He said he hopes funding on the way from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for storm cleanup can foster improvements that will prompt more people to make Beaumont home.

"It's not only about recruiting people for the work force, it's also about recruiting people so our community can work and thrive," Mulroy said.

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