Ottawa new home construction sets new record in 2021
New home construction hit a record high in the city of Ottawa in 2021, with nearly 30 per cent of the new dwellings built in Ottawa's intensification target areas.
The 2021 Annual Development Report shows construction began on 9,402 new homes last year, up 1.8 per cent from 2020 and the most housing starts in a single year since amalgamation in 2000.
Single-detached homes accounted for 29.5 per cent of all new housing starts in Ottawa, up from 26.4 per cent of all starts in 2020.
Semi-detached homes accounted for 2.3 per cent of all home starts last year, while apartments accounted for 40.3 per cent of all home starts. The report says the proportion of semi-detached and row house starts decreased in 2021 from 2020.
Staff say the larger Ottawa-Gatineau area ranked fifth in "absolute housing starts" among Canada's six largest metropolitan areas in 2021, with 13,280 units built. While Ottawa-Gatineau saw a 1.9 per cent increase in housing starts last year, Calgary saw a 62 per cent increase in housing starts, followed by Montreal at 18.6 per cent.
Ottawa's existing Official Plan directs intensification to areas with high levels of transit service or where dwellings may be located close to employment areas. The report says 3,192 residential units were issued building permits in intensification targets areas, accounting for 28 per cent of net new units issued permits in Ottawa.
A total for 1,401 permits were issued around existing Rapid Transit Stations, while 1,181 units will be built around future LRT stations.
Council approved a new Official Plan in October 2021, establishing an increasing residential intensification target to 2035. The Official Plan is still under review by the Ontario government.
Ottawa's Development Report shows the average resale price of a new home was $645,976 in 2021, up 22 per cent from the year before. Ottawa's rental vacancy rate was 3.4 per cent.
The city of Ottawa's population increased 0.8 per cent in 2021 to 1,054,800. The downtown area saw the greatest population growth in 2021, up 11.7 per cent last year compared to a 2.9 per cent decrease the year before.
According to the report, 588,700 Ottawa residents were employed in 2021, with 182,000 residents working in "knowledge", 134,000 working for government and 84,000 employed in the retail sector. Staff say the "Industrial and Resource Cluster" saw the largest employment growth last year, with 12,900 new jobs. Ottawa's retail sector saw a decline of 3,000 jobs in 2021 from the year before.
The wards of Barrhaven and Gloucester-South Nepean had the highest ward populations in Ottawa.
The planning committee will receive the annual development report at its meeting on Aug. 25.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Party's over: Coyotes play final game as Arizona franchise before move to Salt Lake City
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.