Real Estate News

Canadian Housing Starts, December 2010 Results

Release Date: January 11, 2010

Canadian Housing Starts, December 2010 Results

Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

Link to Releases:

For CMHC’s GTA release: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/press/2010/2010_12_08_0815_EOT.pdf

For CMHC’s national release: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2011/2011-01-11-0815.cfm

Summary: In December, Canadian housing starts fell 13 per cent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 171,500 units from an upwardly revised November figure of 198,200 units. The drop was driven by a decline in the volatile multiple-family component, especially within Ontario, where the overall decline was 45 per cent. In Toronto, the annual rate of starts fell by 65 per cent to 17,800.

Analysis: We experienced a volatile end to 2010 home construction in the GTA. In the Toronto area, condominium apartments accounted for almost 40 per cent of total construction activity. The timing of condominium apartment starts is more erratic compared to low rise starts, which means that in some months GTA starts will spike well above trend and in other months the level of starts will move below trend. With this said, it is important to note that overall home construction was up in 2010 as a whole, making a positive contribution to the local, provincial and national economies. Looking forward through 2011, it appears that housing starts in the GTA will include an even larger share of condominium apartments, as new high-rise sales (as reported by RealNet Canada Inc.)

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board