The demand for new homes in Ottawa is back up to where it was this time last year, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said Monday.
Total housing starts in the Ottawa Census Metropolitan Area reached 740 units in October.
While construction went up among all housing types, single-detached homes were the most popular, accounting for 40 per cent of all starts.
“Single-detached construction was the second highest so far this year,” said Sandra Pérez Torres, senior market analyst at CMHC. “The presence of first-time buyers was felt as they kept demand high for new semi-detached homes and townhomes.”
There was also growth in the apartment segment last month, making for the second best month this year, Perez Torres added.
While the outskirts of the city and Goulbourn were the locations of choice among repeat buyers, Kanata and Gloucester were the preferred choice among many first-time buyers.
