Housing starts are off to a slow start for the first three months of 2012 in the Battlefords.
Only one housing start was reported for the first three months of 2012, compared to seven in 2011. The housing start is in the single-detached category.
The numbers were reported by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation as part of their monthly survey of residential construction.
The numbers are skewed, though, by the fact that StatsCan has redefined the geographic boundaries for the Battlefords in their 2012 calculations. As of this year it no longer counts the RM of North Battleford No. 437 but adds the RM of Battle River No. 438, so CMHC is cautioning that the year-to-year comparisons are not applicable.
Overall in the province, CMHC is reporting an overall increase in the nine communities measured, from 1,069 to 1,429 over the January to March period. The increases are largely in Regina that saw housing starts from January to March go up from 330 to 740. The Lloydminster CMA also increased from 54 to 66, mainly on the Alberta side, while Saskatoon CMA dropped slightly from 648 to 628 over the three months.
