December Housing Starts in New Brunswick

MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK--(Marketwire - Jan. 11, 2011) - Residential construction in New Brunswick's urban centres was down in December according to figures released today by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Preliminary data⁽¹⁾ indicate that a total of 149 starts were recorded during the month compared to 182 starts for the same period in 2009.

"In spite of the decline in starts recorded during the final month of the year, total urban starts in 2010 exceeded the previous year's provincial total due to a significant increase in multiple starts," said Claude Gautreau, CMHC's senior market analyst for New Brunswick. In December, multiple starts declined 15 per cent compared to the same period in 2009. For the year, however, multiple starts in provincial urban centres were up 29 per cent to 1,621 units.

Single starts were also lower in December with a 21 per cent decline to 80 units. At the end of December, year-to-date single starts were down two per cent to 1,329 units. "Lower demand for single detached homes, particularly in Fredericton and Saint John, contributed to the overall year-over-year decline in single starts observed in 2010," added Gautreau.

In urban centres across Canada, total housing starts recorded in December were down two per cent to 12,040 units compared to 2009's total of 12,268. Single-detached starts were down 20 per cent to 4,981 units, while multiple starts were up 17 per cent to 7,059 units in 2010. In the Atlantic region, 611 new units were started in December 2010 compared to 672 units during the same period in 2009.

As Canada's national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable and affordable homes. CMHC also provides reliable, impartial and up-to-date housing market reports, analysis and knowledge to support and assist consumers and the housing industry in making vital decisions.

⁽¹⁾ Figures for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revisions due to corrections or updates from quarterly enumeration or sampling results.  

For more information, visit www.cmhc.ca or call 1 800 668-2642.

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PRELIMINARY URBAN MONTHLY HOUSING STARTS NEW BRUNSWICK SUMMARY

	2010	2009		YEAR-TO -DATE
			% Change			% Change
	DEC	DEC		2010	2009
	ALL URBAN CENTRES WITH POPULATIONS > 50,000
SAINT JOHN CMA
Single	23	28	-17.9%	345	369	-6.5%
Multiple	4	6	-33.3%	308	290	6.2%
TOTAL	27	34	-20.6%	653	659	-0.9%
MONCTON CMA
Single	34	35	-2.9%	462	430	7.4%
Multiple	52	54	-3.7%	938	543	72.7%
TOTAL	86	89	-3.4%	1,400	973	43.9%
FREDERICTON CA
Single	15	28	-46.4%	370	403	-8.2%
Multiple	13	18	-27.8%	324	352	-8.0%
TOTAL	28	46	-39.1%	694	755	-8.1%
	ALL URBAN CENTRES WITH POPULATION >10,000*
ALL CENTRES
Single	80	101	-20.8%	1,329	1,361	-2.4%
Multiple	69	81	-14.8%	1,621	1,259	28.8%
TOTAL	149	182	-18.1%	2,950	2,620	12.6%

Figures for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revisions due to corrections or updates from quarterly enumeration or sampling results.

* Includes all centres with a total population of more than 10,000 (Saint John CMA, Moncton CMA, Fredericton CA, Bathurst CA, Campbellton CA, Edmundston CA, and Miramichi CA).

## Indicates changes in excess of 100% which are not reported due to volatility resulting from small absolute numbers.

PRELIMINARY QUARTERLY HOUSING STARTS NEW BRUNSWICK SUMMARY
	2010	2009		YEAR-TO -DATE
			% Change			% Change
	Q4	Q4		2010	2009
	ALL URBAN CENTRES WITH POPULATIONS > 10,000
SAINT JOHN CMA
Single	82	97	-15.5%	345	369	-6.5%
Multiple	8	36	-77.8%	308	290	6.2%
TOTAL	90	133	-32.3%	653	659	-0.9%
MONCTON CMA
Single	118	131	-9.9%	462	430	7.4%
Multiple	350	181	93.4%	938	543	72.7%
TOTAL	468	312	50.0%	1,400	973	43.9%
FREDERICTON CA
Single	94	119	-21.0%	370	403	-8.2%
Multiple	27	80	-66.3%	324	352	-8.0%
TOTAL	121	199	-39.2%	694	755	-8.1%
BATHURST CA
Single	9	10	-10.0%	54	52	3.8%
Multiple	2	3	-33.3%	16	50	-68.0%
TOTAL	11	13	-15.4%	70	102	-31.4%
CAMPBELLTON CA
Single	4	5	-20.0%	14	15	-6.7%
Multiple	0	8		28	8
TOTAL	4	13	-69.2%	42	23	82.6%
EDMUNDSTON CA
Single	5	7	-28.6%	29	35	-17.1%
Multiple	0	0	-	7	16	-56.3%
TOTAL	5	7	-28.6%	36	51	-29.4%
MIRAMICHI CA
Single	15	15	0.0%	55	57	-3.5%
Multiple	0	0	-	0	0	-
TOTAL	15	15	0.0%	55	57	-3.5%
ALL URBAN CENTRES*
Single	327	384	-14.8%	1,329	1,361	-2.4%
Multiple	387	308	25.6%	1,621	1,259	28.8%
TOTAL	714	692	3.2%	2,950	2,620	12.6%

Figures for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revisions due to corrections or updates from quarterly enumeration or sampling results.

* Includes all centres with a total population of more than 10,000 (Saint John CMA, Moncton CA, Fredericton CA, Bathurst CA, Campbellton CA, Edmundston CA, and Miramichi City).

## Indicates changes in excess of 100% which are not reported due to volatility resulting from small absolute numbers.