The latest housing starts press release from the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation.

1. EMBARGO – RELEASE MAY 9, 2011 AT 8:15 AM
APRIL HOUSING STARTS IN VANCOUVER CENSUS METROPOLITAN AREA (CMA)
VANCOUVER, May 9, 2011 – Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reports,
April 2011 housing starts in the Vancouver CMA increased compared to the same month a year
ago, totalling 1,329 homes. Nearly three quarters of all housing starts were multiple-family units.
“Multiple-family housing starts continue to grow in popularity throughout the CMA,” noted Robyn
Adamache, CMHC’s Senior Market Analyst. “More than two thirds of all multiple-family starts in
April occurred in the North Vancouver District and the City of Burnaby, reflecting the strong
housing demand in these areas.”
The Abbotsford CMA reported 21 housing starts in April, totalling 188 homes for the first four
months of the year. More than three quarters of all housing starts so far this year were multiple-
family units.
Nationally, the seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of total housing starts decreased to 179,000
units in April, from 184,700 units in March. In British Columbia, April’s seasonally adjusted rate
of urban housing starts moved higher to 22,600 units from 18,300 units the previous month.
As Canada's national housing agency, CMHC draws on 65 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.
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Preliminary housing starts numbers are summarized in the attached tables.
For further information, please contact: Robyn Adamache, Senior Market Analyst
Tel (604) 737-4144; Cell (604) 787-9659; radamach@cmhc.ca
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1
Seasonally-adjusted annual rates (SAARs) are monthly figures adjusted to remove normal seasonal
variation and multiplied by 12 to reflect annual levels. This adjustment facilitates the comparison of the
current pace of activity to annual forecasts as well as to historic annual levels.

2. Vancouver CMA Housing Starts
APRIL YEAR-TO-DATE
Single-Detached* Multiples** TOTAL Single-Detached Multiples TOTAL
2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010
Bowen Island 2 2 6 0 8 2 Bowen Island 3 3 6 4 9 7
Burnaby 50 20 153 75 203 95 Burnaby 88 81 324 269 412 350
Coquitlam 40 31 116 14 156 45 Coquitlam 52 85 441 221 493 306
Delta 6 14 4 62 10 76 Delta 34 56 10 87 44 143
Langley City 1 0 51 0 52 0 Langley City 3 0 51 0 54 0
Langley District 22 25 88 31 110 56 Langley District 59 68 191 168 250 236
Maple Ridge 42 38 2 0 44 38 Maple Ridge 96 121 30 52 126 173
New West 7 28 7 107 14 135 New West 23 45 51 109 74 154
North Van. City 2 0 39 7 41 7 North Van. City 8 0 165 15 173 15
North Van. District 5 6 210 129 215 135 North Van. District 10 13 222 151 232 164
Pitt Meadows 1 0 0 0 1 0 Pitt Meadows 1 5 71 0 72 5
Port Coquitlam 2 0 0 8 2 8 Port Coquitlam 4 0 10 17 14 17
Port Moody 0 3 0 7 0 10 Port Moody 2 6 5 13 7 19
Richmond 21 0 82 44 103 44 Richmond 76 59 786 265 862 324
Surrey 90 227 150 192 240 419 Surrey 276 741 808 495 1,084 1,236
Vancouver City 40 39 76 130 116 169 Vancouver City 190 183 918 982 1,108 1,165
West Vancouver 5 8 0 0 5 8 West Vancouver 33 27 0 0 33 27
White Rock 3 0 6 12 9 12 White Rock 4 1 12 43 16 44
Other 0 1 0 0 0 1 Other 2 11 72 46 74 57
Van CMA TOTAL 339 442 990 818 1,329 1,260 Van CMA TOTAL 964 1,505 4,173 2,937 5,137 4,442
TOTAL Change -23% 21% 5% TOTAL Change -36% 42% 16%
Abbotsford 12 39 4 10 16 49 Abbotsford 35 88 124 37 159 125
Mission 5 6 0 0 5 6 Mission 29 37 0 0 29 37
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0
Abbotsford CMA 17 45 4 10 21 55 Abbotsford CMA 64 125 124 37 188 162
TOTAL Change -62% -60% -62% TOTAL Change -49% ## 16%
Chilliwack CA 16 35 12 77 28 112 Chilliwack CA 57 131 29 146 86 277
TOTAL Change -54% -84% -75% TOTAL Change -56% -80% -69%
Source: CMHC Source: CMHC
Vancouver - Other incl. Anmore, Belcarra, Lions Bay, UEL, Unorgan., Indian Reserves.
Abbotsford - Other incl. Indian Reserves.
* Single Detached refers to single family homes.
**Multiples refer to semi-detached, townhouse and apartment units.
Effictive January 2011, data includes market housing on First Nations reserve lands in urban areas.
##: Per cent change > 100%
Lower Mainland Housing Starts*
Change in Units 2010- 2011
WEST NORTH
VANCOUVER VANCOUVER
22% ##
TRI-CITIES
50%
MAPLE
VANCOUVER CITY BURNABY & NEW
WESTMINSTER
RIDGE
5%
4% 27%
MISSION
RICHMOND
## SURREY
DELTA ABBOTSFORD
12% LANGLEY
69% 16%
29%
January - April 2011
##: Per cent change > 100% WHITE
ROCK

3. British Columbia - Urban Areas (10,000+ population)
Housing Starts (Units ) - B.C. - April
Area Single Detached Multiples Total
2010 2011 %Chg. 2010 2011 %Chg 2010 2011 %Chg
Vancouver CMA 442 339 -23.3% 818 990 21.0% 1,260 1,329 5.5%
Victoria CMA 90 65 -27.8% 123 59 -52.0% 213 124 -41.8%
Abbotsford CMA 45 17 -62.2% 10 4 -60.0% 55 21 -61.8%
Kelowna CMA 56 60 7.1% 21 74 ** 77 134 74.0%
Chilliwack CA 35 16 -54.3% 77 12 -84.4% 112 28 -75.0%
Kamloops CA 26 22 -15.4% 0 1 ## 26 23 -11.5%
Nanaimo CA 30 25 -16.7% 58 35 -39.7% 88 60 -31.8%
Prince George CA 10 13 30.0% 9 0 -100.0% 19 13 -31.6%
Vernon CA 19 11 -42.1% 4 0 -100.0% 23 11 -52.2%
Other Centres 177 107 -39.5% 61 78 27.9% 238 185 -22.3%
Urban B.C. 930 675 -27.4% 1,181 1,253 6.1% 2,111 1,928 -8.7%
** Per cent change > 100% Source: CMHC
## Undefined
Housing Starts (units) - Urban B.C., January - April
Area Single Detached Multiples Total
2010 2011 %Chg. 2010 2011 %Chg 2010 2011 %Chg
Vancouver CMA 1,505 964 -35.9% 2,953 4,173 41.3% 4,458 5,137 15.2%
Victoria CMA 325 196 -39.7% 522 249 -52.3% 847 445 -47.5%
Abbotsford CMA 125 64 -48.8% 37 124 ** 162 188 16.0%
Kelowna CMA 178 126 -29.2% 148 130 -12.2% 326 256 -21.5%
Chilliwack CA 131 57 -56.5% 146 29 -80.1% 277 86 -69.0%
Kamloops CA 100 53 -47.0% 111 153 37.8% 211 206 -2.4%
Nanaimo CA 149 73 -51.0% 154 129 -16.2% 303 202 -33.3%
Prince George CA 28 18 -35.7% 9 36 ** 37 54 45.9%
Vernon CA 67 28 -58.2% 9 3 -66.7% 76 31 -59.2%
Other Centres 485 265 -45.4% 266 189 -28.9% 751 454 -39.5%
Urban B.C. 3,093 1,844 -40.4% 4,355 5,215 19.7% 7,448 7,059 -5.2%
** Per cent change > 100% Source: CMHC
## Undefined