Appendix 1: Methodology NEW HOME REGISTRATION BC Housing is responsible for the Homeowner Protection Act , mandated to increase consumer protection for new home buyers and help bring about improvement to the quality of residential construction. Under the Act , all new homes in B.C. must be registered prior to the issuance of building permits and housing starts. The new home registration data measures residential construction activities at the beginning of a project before construction commences. New home registration data are collected from Licensed Residential Builders and owner builders through the New Home Registration forms and Owner Builder Authorization applications. Over time, minor adjustments may be made to the new home registration data as registrations are withdrawn or cancelled from home warranty insurance. This report provides information on registered new homes by building type, building size, and building location. Figures for registered new homes include both multi-unit and single detached new homes enrolled with home warranty insurance and Owner Builder Authorizations. CSA-approved manufactured homes (mobile homes and factory-built homes), floating homes, non-stratified hotels, motels, dormitories, and care facilities are excluded from the definition of new home . Geographical terms in this publication are based on Statistics Canada’s 2006 Census area. In February 2009, the regional district of Comox-Strathcona was replaced by two successor regional districts, Comox Valley and Strathcona.
In collaboration with BC Housing, the Bank of Canada conducted a study to assess whether or not new home registration data can be used as a leading indicator for economic activity in B.C. Study findings reveal that quarterly increases in new registrations for single detached homes have statistically significant predictive content for growth in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next one to three quarters, providing stronger signals compared to housing starts and building permits over this forecast horizon. To view the report, go to the Staff Discussion Papers section on the Bank of Canada’s website. The Monthly New Homes Registry Report is available on the BC Housing’s Research Centre website. Home registration data are available upon request. Data inquiries should be directed by email to: technicalresearch@bchousing.org
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