Quebec Housing Starts in December

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Jan. 11, 2011) - According to the results of the latest monthly survey conducted by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), residential construction decreased this past month in Quebec's centres with 10,000 or more inhabitants. In all, 3,545 dwellings were started in December 2010, compared to 3,696 a year earlier. However, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of starts for this same month (41,300) was higher than for the month of November (36,400).

"This increase in the rate of new home construction in Quebec was attributable to the multiple-unit housing segment, which stood out throughout 2010," said Kevin Hughes, Senior Economist at CMHC for Quebec.

An increase was recorded in the multiple-unit (semi-detached, row and apartment) housing segment, where starts climbed from 2,526 units in December 2009 to 2,641 units a year later, for an increase of 5 per cent.

A more detailed analysis of the data indicates that rental apartment starts posted a notable decrease. In centres with 50,000 or more inhabitants, such starts dropped from 687 units in December 2009 to 614 units in December 2010. During the same period, new semi-detached housing units climbed by 17 per cent.

Single-detached home building fell by 23 per cent year-over-year in December, as all of the CMAs in the province recorded losses. Based on the survey results, the Gatineau Montréal and Québec areas registered large declines (see Table).

In 2010, starts in Quebec's urban centres with 10,000 or more inhabitants were up by 18 per cent, compared to 2009. This result mainly reflected the increases in multi-unit housing construction (+24 per cent) and, to a lesser extent, in single-detached home building (+5 per cent).

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

Preliminary Results - Monthly Starts Survey - Province of Quebec

(centres with 10,000+ inhab.)

December

	Singles			Multiples			Total
	2009	2010	%	2009	2010	%	2009	2010	%
Centres with 100,000+ inhab. (December)
GATINEAU	80	65	-19	68	63	-7	148	128	-14
MONTRÉAL	516	387	-25	1,448	1,447	0	1,964	1,834	-7
QUÉBEC	136	116	-15	417	427	2	553	543	-2
SAGUENAY	21	10	-52	28	42	50	49	52	6
SHERBROOKE	57	39	-32	92	87	-5	149	126	-15
TROIS-RIVIÈRES	49	20	-59	139	104	-25	188	124	-34
Subtotal (100,000+)	859	637	-26	2,192	2,170	-1	3,051	2,807	-8
Centres with 50,000 to 99,999 inhab. (Décembre)
DRUMMONDVILLE	37	33	-11	34	11	-68	71	44	-38
GRANBY	34	14	-59	20	47	***	54	61	13
SAINT-HYACINTHE	6	6	0	30	25	-17	36	31	-14
SHAWINIGAN	6	8	33	0	0	0	6	8	33
SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU	29	21	-28	45	21	-53	74	42	-43
Subtotal (50,000 to 99,999)	112	82	-27	129	104	-19	241	186	-23
Centres with 10,000 to 49,999 inhab. (4th Quart.)
ALMA	23	15	-35	14	58	***	37	73	97
AMOS	8	2	-75	0	0	0	8	2	-75
BAIE-COMEAU	2	1	-50	24	150	***	26	151	***
COWANSVILLE	6	5	-17	6	12	***	12	17	42
DOLBEAU-MISTASSINI	4	4	0	0	0	0	4	4	0
GASPÉ	9	10	11	3	10	***	12	20	67
GRENVILLE	5	1	-80	0	0	0	5	1	-80
JOLIETTE	41	48	17	98	48	-51	139	96	-31
LA TUQUE	3	3	0	0	0	0	3	3	0
LACHUTE	24	7	-71	55	24	-56	79	31	-61
LES-ÎLES-DE-LA-MADELEINE	11	11	0	4	4	0	15	15	0
MATANE	6	4	-33	10	0	-100	16	4	-75
MONT-LAURIER	14	10	-29	6	0	-100	20	10	-50
MONTMAGNY	4	4	0	0	0	0	4	4	0
PRÉVOST	57	41	-28	32	0	-100	89	41	-54
RAWDON	20	14	-30	16	2	-88	36	16	-56
RIMOUSKI	43	39	-9	44	204	***	87	243	***
RIVIÈRE-DU-LOUP	9	18	***	54	45	-17	63	63	0
ROBERVAL	6	2	-67	0	0	0	6	2	-67
ROUYN-NORANDA	30	24	-20	4	16	***	34	40	18
SAINTE-ADÈLE	31	21	-32	17	10	-41	48	31	-35
SAINTE-MARIE	7	7	0	15	23	53	22	30	36
SAINTE-SOPHIE	71	56	-21	24	26	8	95	82	-14
SAINT-FÉLICIEN	6	1	-83	0	0	0	6	1	-83
SAINT-GEORGES	44	22	-50	36	200	***	80	222	***
SAINT-LIN-LAURENTIDES	45	71	58	33	39	18	78	110	41
SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD	14	17	21	30	20	-33	44	37	-16
SEPT-ÎLES	9	11	22	0	10	***	9	21	***
SOREL-TRACY	14	22	57	70	96	37	84	118	40
THETFORD MINES	10	11	10	12	4	-67	22	15	-32
VAL-D'OR	12	53	***	9	4	-56	21	57	***
VICTORIAVILLE	34	37	9	29	60	***	63	97	54
Subtotal (10,000 to 49,999)*	622	592	-5	645	1,065	65	1,267	1,657	31
Quebec (estimate 10,000+)	1,170	904	-23	2,526	2,641	5	3,696	3,545	-4

* Data adjusted to reflect geographical definitions of the 2006 Census.

*** Absolute value greater than 100%

Preliminary Results - Monthly Starts Survey - Province of Quebec

(centres with 10,000+ inhab.)

January to December

	Singles			Multiples			Total
	2009	2010	%	2009	2010	%	2009	2010	%
Centres with 100,000+ inhab.
GATINEAU	1,056	910	-14	2,060	1,777	-14	3,116	2,687	-14
MONTRÉAL	5,446	5,789	6	13,805	16,212	17	19,251	22,001	14
QUÉBEC	1,746	1,768	1	3,767	4,884	30	5,513	6,652	21
SAGUENAY	337	380	13	247	432	75	584	812	39
SHERBROOKE	668	570	-15	912	1,086	19	1,580	1,656	5
TROIS-RIVIÈRES	375	345	-8	652	1,346	***	1,027	1,691	65
Subtotal (100,000+)	9,628	9,762	1	21,443	25,737	20	31,071	35,499	14
Centres with 50,000 to 99,999 inhab.
DRUMMONDVILLE	332	417	26	198	318	61	530	735	39
GRANBY	256	279	9	361	620	72	617	899	46
SAINT-HYACINTHE	65	73	12	206	286	39	271	359	32
SHAWINIGAN	87	131	51	101	63	-38	188	194	3
SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU	230	273	19	173	140	-19	403	413	2
Subtotal (50,000 to 99,999)	970	1,173	21	1,039	1,427	37	2,009	2,600	29
Centres with 10,000 to 49,999 inhab.
ALMA	81	72	-11	42	206	***	123	278	***
AMOS	32	44	38	0	3	***	32	47	47
BAIE-COMEAU	31	12	-61	24	175	***	55	187	***
COWANSVILLE	25	47	88	62	38	-39	87	85	-2
DOLBEAU-MISTASSINI	19	20	5	0	2	***	19	22	16
GASPÉ	60	48	-20	17	10	-41	77	58	-25
GRENVILLE	9	8	-11	0	27	***	9	35	***
JOLIETTE	220	212	-4	186	193	4	406	405	0
LA TUQUE	8	14	75	2	0	-100	10	14	40
LACHUTE	49	32	-35	93	58	-38	142	90	-37
LES-ÎLES-DE-LA-MADELEINE	47	42	-11	22	8	-64	69	50	-28
MATANE	34	25	-26	12	8	-33	46	33	-28
MONT-LAURIER	40	51	28	6	74	***	46	125	***
MONTMAGNY	17	21	24	8	8	0	25	29	16
PRÉVOST	173	170	-2	39	48	23	212	218	3
RAWDON	70	75	7	42	16	-62	112	91	-19
RIMOUSKI	143	176	23	157	320	***	300	496	65
RIVIÈRE-DU-LOUP	54	71	31	100	120	20	154	191	24
ROBERVAL	16	17	6	8	6	-25	24	23	-4
ROUYN-NORANDA	97	122	26	50	23	-54	147	145	-1
SAINTE-ADÈLE	77	81	5	57	43	-25	134	124	-7
SAINTE-MARIE	37	33	-11	43	51	19	80	84	5
SAINTE-SOPHIE	180	213	18	62	91	47	242	304	26
SAINT-FÉLICIEN	16	12	-25	0	0	0	16	12	-25
SAINT-GEORGES	109	114	5	84	260	***	193	374	94
SAINT-LIN-LAURENTIDES	124	214	73	70	129	84	194	343	77
SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD	62	66	6	101	186	84	163	252	55
SEPT-ÎLES	41	54	32	0	22	***	41	76	85
SOREL-TRACY	85	114	34	132	240	82	217	354	63
THETFORD MINES	37	36	-3	48	43	-10	85	79	-7
VAL-D'OR	90	122	36	20	71	***	110	193	75
VICTORIAVILLE	133	167	26	223	473	***	356	640	80
Subtotal (10,000 to 49,999)*	2,216	2,505	13	1,710	2,952	73	3,926	5,457	39
Quebec (estimate 10,000+)	12,814	13,440	5	24,192	30,116	24	37,006	43,556	18

* Data adjusted to reflect geographical definitions of the 2006 Census.

*** Absolute value greater than 100%