Housing starts, multiple-family dwellings on the rise

OTTAWA - The annual rate of housing starts was 201,700 units in April, up slightly from a revised 199,200 units in March.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reports a higher number of multiple starts were nearly offset by a decline in single starts and rural area starts in April.

Urban starts increased by 5.1 per cent to 182,500 units in April.

Urban multiple starts increased 27.2 per cent to 98,600 units, while single urban starts decreased by 12.7 per cent to 83,900 units.

April's seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts increased 16.4 per cent in British Columbia, 6.7 per cent in the Prairie region, 4.5 per cent in Ontario, and 1.1 per cent in Quebec.

Urban starts decreased 3.3 per cent in Atlantic Canada.

Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 19,200 units in April.

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  An RBC-Pembina report finds that the demand for detached and semi-detached single-family homes in desirable GTA neighbourhoods has exceeded supply and caused home prices to go up.