That's an 18% drop from the 9,600 permits issued during the same time last year.

Multifamily activity in April dropped even more dramatically, to 1,322 permits from 2,999 in April 2000.

Developers pulled a near-record amount of permits last year because of fears that voters might approve a growth amendment. Instead, the constitutional amendment was soundly defeated.

Also, municipalities make it difficult for developers to build apartments.

Some communities, through April, have seen their activity drop by more than half. In Denver, for example, only 642 permits were issued in the first four months of this year, compared with 1,213 last year. And in Douglas County, the nation's fastest growing county in the '90s, posted only 998 permits, compared with 1,976 in 2000.

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