OTTAWA, ON — Canada's housing start rate dipped below 200,000 for the first time in more than a year in December, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
CMHC said housing starts stood at a seasonally adjusted average rate of 197,976 in December, down 1.7% from 201,376 in November.
CMHC also noted, however, that the six-month trend moving average indicated that Canada housing starts reached 212,282 units for the year. Actual housing start information for 2012 is scheduled to be released by CMHC next month.
“As expected, housing starts remained below their recent trend in Canada," said Mathieu Laberge, deputy chief economist of CMHC. "The decrease recorded in December was due to a decline in rural starts, while urban starts remained stable. Housing starts were below their trends in all regions except Ontario.”
| Canada | December 2011 | December 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Actual, all areas | 16,538 | 16,352 |
| Actual, rural areas | 1,596 | 1,667 |
| Actual, urban centres1 | ||
| December – Single-detached | 5,506 | 5,280 |
| December – Multiples | 9,436 | 9,405 |
| December – Total | 14,942 | 14,685 |
| January to December — Single-detached | 67,093 | 67,172 |
| January to December — Multiples | 107,258 | 126,395 |
| January to December — Total | 174,351 | 193,567 |
| November 2012 | December 2012 | |
| SAAR2, all areas | 201,376 | 197,976 |
| SAAR, rural areas | 22,298 | 19,106 |
| SAAR, urban centres1 | ||
| Single-detached | 62,086 | 67,419 |
| Multiples | 116,992 | 111,451 |
| Total | 179,078 | 178,870 |
| Atlantic region, urban centres | 7,854 | 7,731 |
| Quebec, urban centres | 41,063 | 36,210 |
| Ontario, urban centres | 56,526 | 75,430 |
| Prairie region, urban centres | 51,592 | 39,272 |
| British Columbia, urban centres | 22,043 | 20,227 |
Source: CMHC
1 Urban centres with a population of 10,000 and over.
2 Seasonally Adjusted at Annual Rates
Detailed data available upon request.
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