Housing starts up in May

Sudbury and Thunder Bay experienced an increase in housing starts in May, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

After a lackluster beginning to 2011 in the Greater Sudbury area, housing starts picked up last month with 44 single-detached homes, up 19 per cent from May, 2010. Together with the first four months of the year, 78 single detached units have broken ground, 20 per cent lower than the same five month period last year.
“Single detached starts were one unit above the 10-year average in May, which is encouraging, after the slow start to the year," stated Warren Philp, Northern Ontario Market Analyst with CMHC.
"Fourteen semi-detached homes broke ground to round out new construction activity.”

In Thunder Bay, there were above average starts activity in May. The 22 single-detached units, six semi-detached and four row units topped last May's total of 24 units. Year-to-date single-detached starts now total 37 units, three behind last year's count for the same period.
"May new construction activity was spread across the city from Current River to Neebing ward," said Philp. "The bulk of single-detached activity still takes place in Red River, McIntyre and Neebing wards coinciding with existing lot supply."