The upswing in Prince George's house construction is continuing, the latest statistics from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation show.

Year-to-date, there have been 243 starts for single-family homes as of the end of October, a 10.5-per-cent increase over the 220 reached by the same point last year. Add on the 37-units of multiple family so far this year, up from 20 last year, and the increase stands at nearly 17 per cent.

CMHC market analyst Paul Fabri said the fundamentals driving the new home market remain positive, namely a strong provincial economy.

Closer to home, Fabri said Prince George's mining, energy and service sectors continue to be healthy and while lumber prices have come down, the forest industry overall is still performing well.

Moreover, he said consumer confidence remains strong, mortgage rates have leveled out and remain low by historical standards.

"Also, keep in mind that you've had a strong re-sale sector, sales of existing housing, and with the supply of listings being drawn down there, more buyers have turned to the new-home market," he said. "I also think that there was a little pent-up demand in the Prince George market before. If you recall, a few years ago housing starts had dropped to quite a low level and we saw some pent-up demand and that's still being played out in the marketplace."

Compared to other areas around the province, starts in multiple-family homes have remained weak in Prince George. Fabri said that's reflective of the lower prices for single-family homes in Prince George, as well as a higher proportion of younger families in the city as opposed to the high percentage of retirees elsewhere.

"While I do expect to see more multi-family housing in Prince George, certainly not even proportionately to what we would see in other markets in B.C.," he said.