Calgary outpaces province

 

Single-family home construction starts in Calgary and area hit 3,085 in the first six months of 2013

Photograph by: Files , Calgary Herald

Construction starts of single-family homes during the first half of 2013 in the Calgary area were the highest of all urban centres in Alberta — outpacing activity from a year earlier, says a federal agency.

Construction starts from Jan. 1 to the end of June reached 3,085, up nine per cent from 2,830 during the same time in 2012, says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

The starts occurred in the Calgary census metropolitan area, which includes outlying communities such as Airdrie and Cochrane as well as the city.

The second-busiest centre from Jan. 1 to the end of June was the Edmonton census metropolitan area at 2,800, up eight per cent from 2,595 starts during the same period last year.

In terms of the Calgary area, “(single-family) home construction for the first half of 2013 has been fairly steady,” says senior market analyst Richard Cho of CMHC. “We’re seeing some economic factors that are supporting housing demand.”

Among those factors are employment opportunities, he says.

“In 2012, we had an impressive number of jobs created,” says Cho. “We had a record number of net migrants come to Calgary as well — and, of course, that will lead to a higher demand for housing.”

Net migration refers to the inflow of people to the Calgary area minus the outflow.

Last month, 554 single-family homes broke ground in the Calgary area, a 4.3 per cent improvement compared to 531 starts during the same month last year.

But for the month of June, construction starts of single-family homes in the Edmonton area were tops in Alberta at 589, up 13 per cent from 522 starts during the same month in 2012.

Total single-family housing starts for all urban centres in Alberta improved from Jan. 1 to the end of June 2013 compared to a year earlier.

In this span, 7,736 homes broke ground, up 11 per cent from 6,973 starts during the same period in 2012.

OVERALL TOTAL DECLINES

While construction starts of single-family homes in the Calgary area last month were up from the same time in 2012, total new home construction was down, says a federal agency.

Housing starts of all kinds — including multi-family development — eased to 912 in June, down 30 per cent from 1,184 during the same month in 2012, says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

Visit cmhc-schl.gc.ca