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Lagging Provincial New Home Construction May Have Caught Up with Lethbridge

Mar 8, 2016 | 9:42 AM

LETHBRIDGE: The downturn in new home construction, which hit many Alberta communities last year, might now be impacting the Lethbridge construction scene.

Combined new home starts across Alberta’s seven urban areas are down 50% for the first two months of the year (6,119 for the first two months of 2015 compared to 3,062 during the same period this year) .

For Lethbridge, the number of combined single and multi-family new home starts for February was 44, down from 65 for the same month a year ago.

Year-to-date new home starts in Lethbridge sit at 97, the same tally as the first two months of 2015.

While new home construction dropped significantly in Calgary last year, the same dramatic drop is now being experienced by Edmonton. Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Wood Buffalo also recorded year-to-date declines. Only Grand Prairie has noted a year-to-date construction increase.