Mr. Speaker, April is New Homes Month, an annual Canadian Home Builders' Association event. For Canadians it is a good time to buy because our government has created a solid economic foundation through our deficit and tax reduction plans and low inflation rate.
In my riding of Kitchener Centre, building permit construction values are at a $190.8 million high. Over the past four years housing starts have ranged from 769 to 1,057 new units.
For decades CMHC has been helping Canadians become homeowners through its mortgage loan insurance plan which allows purchasers to buy with as little as a 5% down payment and by providing information to help sort through the choices and decisions involved in buying a home.
I encourage Canadians to visit the Canadian Housing and Information Centre and CMHC's website. One in twelve Canadians are directly or indirectly employed in the housing field. No other Canadian industry has such a large impact on our economy.
CMHC is committed to helping improve the quality of life in communities across the country.