Housing starts in Ottawa declined in December 2012 compared to a year earlier, figures released Wednesday by Canada’s national housing agency show.
The number of starts stood at 382 last month, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. That’s down from 563 in December 2011.
Local housing starts for the full year nevertheless increased, going from 5,794 in 2011 to 6,026 in 2012. That suggests a slowdown towards the end of the year.
OBJ360 (Sponsored)

Nicole Arranz lights up whenever she sees or hears children visiting Perley Health’s east-end Ottawa campus. “My mom loves kids, and being around kids brings life to her,” said Josée

Ottawa Jazz Festival’s location is key to its success – and to revitalizing the downtown core
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Ottawa Jazz Festival, one of the city’s premier live music events and Canada’s second oldest jazz festival. Despite the ever-changing (and expanding)
“In December, housing starts moderated from a year earlier on declines in both single and row
structures,” said Sandra Pérez Torres, CMHC’s senior market analyst for eastern and northern Ontario, in a statement. “Notwithstanding, the year ended with total starts rising four per cent over the previous year’s pace boosted by strong apartment construction in May while starts activity declined in the other market segments.”
The seasonally-adjusted annual rates had housing starts at 4,237 units in December 2012, compared to 3,967 units a year earlier.
Most of the new starts were located in Kanata, West Carleton, the old City of Ottawa and Cumberland, the CMHC figures said.