OTTAWA - Municipalities issued building permits worth $6.4 billion in July, down 3.3 per cent from June but 33 per cent higher than in July 2009.
Statistics Canada blames the monthly drop on declines in both the residential and non-residential sectors.
Municipalities issued non-residential building permits worth $2.9 billion in July, down 4.3 per cent from June due to lower construction intentions for industrial and commercial buildings.
The value of residential permits dropped for the fourth straight month, down 2.4 per cent to $3.5 billion in July.
The value of both single- and multi-family permits declined in six provinces in July.
The value of building permits for single-family dwellings declined for a fourth straight month, dropping 0.9 per cent to $2.1 billion as construction intentions fell in eight provinces.
Intentions for multi-family dwellings fell 4.6 per cent to $1.4 billion.
Nationally, municipalities approved 17,099 new dwellings in July, a 4.6 per cent drop from June.