Dip in housing permits

May saw fewer housing permits issued than the month before, but numbers are still well above what they were a year ago.

According to new data from Statistics Canada, there were 339 permits valued at just under $75 million issued in May in the Oshawa census metropolitan area – an area that also includes Whitby and Clarington.

This is down from April’s number, when 391 permits valued at just under $127 million were issued.

While things took a dip last month, numbers are still above what they were at the same time last year, with 194 permits issued. However, the value of those permits – approximately $75.5 million – is slightly higher, even with more than 40 per cent fewer permits being issued.

Across the country, the value of building permits were down 1.1 per cent to $4.3 billion. According to Statistics Canada, while the value of multi-family dwelling permits did go up, it was not enough to offset the decline of single-family dwellings.

Despite the dip nationwide, numbers remain higher than they were a year ago, when permits were valued at $3.9 billion.