TORONTO – Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released June preliminary housing starts data for the Kitchener Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) today. Construction began on 107 homes, down from the 383 units started in the same month last year.

Foundations were poured for a total of 77 single-detached homes in June, down from the 119 units started in June 2008. While the number of semi-detached home starts was the same in June of both 2008 and 2009, townhouse and apartment starts were down. The municipalities of Cambridge and Woolwich recorded higher starts. For the first half of 2009, total new housing construction was down by about 40 per cent, with starts of all housing types declining.

“With no apartment buildings getting underway in June, starts were lower than usual,” said Erica McLerie, Senior Market Analyst for the Kitchener CMA. “New residential construction activity has been growing in Cambridge and Woolwich this year, but not many apartments are built in these areas,” noted McLerie.