Home starts in 2017 remain flat compared to year earlier

By Collin Gallant on January 10, 2018.

Medicine Hat News

Homebuilding in the Medicine Hat region remained flat in 2017 compared to the year before, though fewer larger residential projects dropped off, according to new year-end figures from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

New December figures show that relatively large number, 14, of home starts in that month brought new single-family construction for the year to 101. That’s two fewer than in 2016, despite a prediction that building activity would improve over the past 12 months.

Multiple-unit construction dropped from projects comprising 57 units begun in 2016 to 39 last year.

Brooks as well stayed even in new home construction; 37 home starts is one fewer, but total new units fell by nine due to lower duplex construction.

Among smaller centres, Lethbridge as well stalled on home starts in 2017, though multiple unit starts rose by about 50 per cent. Red Deer figures went the opposite way, with higher single units, but lower large construction.

Overall, in the province, activity in major centres rose 21 per cent year-to-year, led by a higher number of starts in Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray.

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