Canada Mortgage and Housing (CMHC) released their monthly housing starts press release today. According to CMHC "After two months of weaker activity year-over-year in February and March, new housing starts across the Alberta capital region improved in April compared with the same month last year. Total housing starts throughout the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) increased by almost 25% over April 2006 to 1695 units. For the year-to-date, total new home construction region-wide is now 10% ahead of new home starts tallied in the first four months of 2006."
The major increase came from multi-family starts which posted a 70% increase over April 2006. Apartment starts were up by 44%, but the main growth came from semi-detached and row-housing starts which more than doubled over last year. Multiple family starts have improved every month so far this year and are so far 45% ahead of the first four months of ’06.
