Housing starts in the Vancouver CMA increased 57% in January 2011 compared to January 2010, totalling 1,436 homes. Multiple family homes such as townhouses and apartments made up over 85% of new construction, with most of these starts occurring in Vancouver, Surrey, and Burnaby. In the Abbotsford CMA, housing starts increased 35% to 35 units in January 2011 versus the previous year. Nationally, total housing starts increased marginally, while starts in British Columbia declined slightly.

1. EMBARGO – RELEASE FEBRUARY 8, 2011 AT 8:15 AM
January 2011 Housing Starts in Vancouver and Abbotsford
Vancouver, February 8, 2011 – Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reports
that housing starts across the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in January increased
compared to the same month a year ago, totalling 1,436 homes.
Multiple family home starts made up over 85 per cent of the housing starts in the Vancouver
CMA. Most of these home starts were in Vancouver City, followed by Surrey and
Burnaby.“Multiple family projects that were planned by developers during the last year and a half
are beginning to break ground in 2011. We expect to see a number of multiple family projects
begin construction throughout the various centres in the CMA in 2011,” noted Robyn Adamache,
CMHC’s Senior Market Analyst.
In the Abbotsford CMA, there were 35 housing starts counted during the first month of 2011,
compared to 26 housing starts during the same period twelve months prior.
Nationally, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of total housing starts increased marginally to
170,400 units in January, from 169,000 units in December. In British Columbia, January’s
seasonally adjusted rate of urban housing starts moved lower to 25,700 units from 27,900 units
in December.
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, and to download CMHC’s housing reports, please visit CMHC’s website at
www.cmhc.ca/housingmarketinformation or call 1-800-668-2642.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Robyn Adamache
Senior Market Analyst
Tel (604) 737-4144
radamach@cmhc.ca
(Ce document existe également en français) …/2
* Effective January 2011, data includes market housing on First Nations reserve lands in urban areas.

2. Vancouver CMA Housing Starts
January 2011
Single-Detached Multiples TOTAL
2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010
Bowen Island 0 1 0 2 0 3
Burnaby 13 11 139 23 152 34
Coquitlam 7 25 50 80 57 105
Delta 12 7 2 12 14 19
Langley City 2 0 0 0 2 0
Langley District 9 16 48 60 57 76
Maple Ridge 7 26 28 32 35 58
New West 7 4 9 0 16 4
North Van. City 3 0 54 0 57 0
North Van. District 0 3 6 22 6 25
Pitt Meadows 0 3 0 0 0 3
Port Coquitlam 1 0 10 9 11 9
Port Moody 0 2 5 0 5 2
Richmond 14 19 51 20 65 39
Surrey 44 166 189 129 233 295
Vancouver City 50 34 593 200 643 234
West Vancouver 10 5 0 0 10 5
White Rock 1 1 0 0 1 1
Other 0 5 72 0 72 5
Van CMA TOTAL 180 328 1,256 589 1,436 917
TOTAL Change -45% 113% 57%
Abbotsford 6 13 20 4 26 17
Mission 9 9 0 0 9 9
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0
Abbotsford CMA 15 22 20 4 35 26
TOTAL Change -32% ** 35%
Chilliwack CA 8 29 2 20 10 49
TOTAL Change -72% -90% -80%
Source: CMHC
Vancouver - Other incl. Anmore, Belcarra, Lions Bay, UEL, Unorgan.
Abbotsford - Other incl. Fraser Valley H.
* Single Detached refers to single family homes
**Multiples refer to semi-detached, townhouse and apartment units
*** Per cent change > 100%
L o w e r M a in la n d H o u s in g S ta r ts *
C h a n g e in U n its 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1
W EST NORTH
VANCO UVER VANCO UVER
100%
*** T R I-C IT IE S
37%
M APLE
V A N C O U V E R C IT Y BURNABY & NEW
W E S T M IN S T E R
R ID G E
*** 40%
***
M IS S IO N
R IC H M O N D
67% SURREY
D E L TA ABBOTSFORD
21% LANGLEY
26% 35%
22%
J a n u a ry 2 0 1 1
*** P e r c e n t ch a n g e > 1 0 0 % W H IT E
ROCK

3. British Columbia - Urban Areas (10,000+ population)
Housing Starts (Units ) - B.C., January 2011
Area Single Detached Multiples Total
2010 2011 %Chg. 2010 2011 %Chg 2010 2011 %Chg
Vancouver CMA 328 180 -45.1% 589 1,256 ** 917 1,436 56.6%
Victoria CMA 71 57 -19.7% 177 21 -88.1% 248 78 -68.5%
Abbotsford CMA 22 15 -31.8% 4 20 ** 26 35 34.6%
Kelowna CA 44 23 -47.7% 117 10 -91.5% 161 33 -79.5%
Chilliwack CA 29 8 -72.4% 20 2 -90.0% 49 10 -79.6%
Kamloops CA 21 10 -52.4% 6 142 ** 27 152 **
Nanaimo CA 54 19 -64.8% 35 14 -60.0% 89 33 -62.9%
Prince George CA 4 0 -100.0% 0 0 ## 4 0 -100.0%
Vernon CA 15 4 -73.3% 3 0 -100.0% 18 4 -77.8%
Other Centres 94 44 -53.2% 53 118 ** 147 162 10.2%
Urban B.C. 682 360 -47.2% 1,004 1,583 57.7% 1,686 1,943 15.2%
** Per cent change > 100% Source: CMHC
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