The Sick Days of the Condo

Housing starts in Canada are down dramatically, but no more so than in the condo market, which accounts for half or more of the housing construction in such cities as Vancouver and Toronto.

1 minute read

December 10, 2008, 7:00 AM PST

By Michael Dudley

"The condo building boom has come to a crashing halt. Overall housing starts tumbled 19 per cent in November, the slowest pace of residential construction activity since late 2001.

But the decline in the vital condominium sector, which accounts for 50 to 60 per cent of housing construction in Vancouver and roughly 50 per cent of new-home building activity in Toronto, was down an even steeper 29 per cent month over month.

The housing starts fall was far steeper than had been expected, with the biggest drop in condominiums, according to Toronto-Dominion Bank economist Charmaine Buskas.

The slowdown will not be immediately evident to Canadians in major urban centres, where the skylines are dotted with tower cranes and construction workers completing previously-commissioned projects."

FULL STORY: Condo building boom screeches to a halt

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 in The Globe and Mail

Housing Canada

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