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PAGE 18, WHITB FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 1990 New home àsales stili slow despite May increase. New homes sales totalled 742 in May, up 26 per cent frocm April's 590 sales but down 23 per cent from May, 1989, when 960 new homes were sold, said the preident of the Toronto Home Builders'Association (THflA). "Although builders have enjoyed nioderate success ately through price reductions and attractive financial incentives, high interest rates have contributed signiflcantly ta, the current sales slump and caused a shar? hike in the unernployment rate,' said Chris Mulhn in bis monthly report on sales activity in1 the greater Toronto region. 'The* (federal) government is trying ta, wrestle inflation ta the ground, but they're taking the economy down witii it," he said. "National housing starta totalled 215,000 in 1989. W. predict from 160,000 te 170,000 starts tis year and only 125,000 in 1991." Mullin said Metro-area homebuilders are now- operatixig at one-third capacity. 'Instead of producing 25,000 homes ini a normal year, we will be- putting more than *25,000 people out of work," he said. "There is nowiiere near the business, needed ta, generate the jobs the iiidustry and economy depend on." During the firat five montha of 1990, 3,354 new homes have been sold, compared with 9,502 during the sanie period last year. The THBA predicts 1990 sales of new homes wiil total only about 8,000. "We seem ta, be bogged down with negatives, but tiiere are positive milestanes we should b. celebrating," said Mullin. "Tie approval of the Meech Lake accord will signal a iiealing of nationhood, which siiould help put the economiy back on track." Housing Data Report, prepared by Brethour Research Associates for the THBA, stated that May sales consisted of 620 freehold homes (84 per cent of mnarket) and 122 condonminiums homes (16 per cent of market.) The north region led i frehold sales with 319, followed by west 148, east 132 and central 21. Markham set tii. pace i the north region witii 202 sales, followed by Aurora with. 37 and Richmond HiilU with 36. Mississauga led the west region with 95 sales,. followed by Brampton with'32 and Oakviile witii 18. Ajax topped ail east locations with 65 sales, followed by Whitby witii 24 and Oshiawa with 22. In tii. central region, Scarborough and Etoicoke recorded 17, and four sales respectively. Tii. central region led in condominium sales with 63, folowed by west 45, nortii 13 and east one. Scanborough tapped al locations with 29 sales, foilowed by Toranta (25), Burlington (19), Oakville (12),' Misissauga (8), Thornbill (7) and Etobicoke (6). In addition ta reporting Metro-area sales, Housing Data Report compled sales figures reported by Toronto builders active in areas autside the THAs tracing area. Thei 69 sales were distrubuted as foilows (twa sales or more): Canibridge 30, Barrie 9, Bowmanville 8, Bolton 5, Cobourg 4, Orilia 4 iAndsay 2, Wasaga Beach 2. The . Toranto Home Builder? Association was established ir. 1921 and bas more than 900 members companies rrenting builder/ renovator Idvelopers, financial professianal, supplyl services and sub-contractors and is the largest affiliate of the Ontario and Canadian Home Builders' Associations. John- Sewell to speak at. housing access meeting Housing activist John Sewell will b. f.atured at a meeting of the Durhami Régional Access ta Permanent Housing Committe. later this month. Tii.former niayor of Taronte will b. the. guest speaker at the. committe'. quarterly meeting Friday, Jun. 29. Tii. meeting, wiiich gets underway at noon, will b. held at St. -Markes Anglican Churcii, 520 B.urling Ave. in Oshawa. There in no admission f.. and a light lunch wiil be provided. Pre-registration is rqred. To register, contact Joan or Marie Nesbitt at 686-2661 by 5 p.m., June 25. The .eting wii laSe include a screening of tL new vides about tii. aoes comnmittee whicii is made up cf representatives from the. omunity, church groupe, soci servce agencies, regional- and provincial governments, and non-profit iiousing providers. Tii. June. 29 meeting is tii. nintii quarterly meeting since tii. coennitt.e was formed. A smaller steering group meets monthly. 'Thi, committe. believes that al people have the. nigiit ta affordable, safie and appropriate iiousing. 'Tii. committee is worIng ta identifth ti.roblems facing tii. iiomeless, tae action ta iielp overcame prablems, promot. citizen and community coinmitment te salve problems, and provide a facus for community éducation and discussion on iiomelessness. People are coSuidered homneles wiien tiieypayl over 50 per cent of their monhy icme an rent, or, liv. ini poor quality and unsaf, housing, or actually liv, on the. streets. Six iiousing projects are operating "nder the umbrefla of the. committee: a region-wide iiousing registry,, outreach workers from teens, wemen, the. developmentally-bandicapped and otiiers in the. conimunity baving difficulty flnding affordable iiousing. .There .is aiso an in.-ati group workting te increase the. participation af tii. ciiurcii conimunity in providing housing. Waterfront development announoed for Aja>' On Tiiursday, June 7, Runnymede Develapment Corporation Limited annaunced plans for a, 234-acre waterfront- community in soutiieast Ajax at tii. moutii of Carrutiiers Creek. The annauncement coincided with the start of Ajax Home Week, *an annuel clebration of tii. Town'ls history, its communityr spirit, and its comning of ag. as a significant part of tii. Greater Toranto ares. Jack Fehituch, executive vice-president, said the. new community, called 'Tii. Village of Somerset Cave,' wiil bring 2,000 residential praperties te Ajax, and a waterfront Dark and marina of about 20 acres. Tiie development plan combines 45 acres of waterfront, woodliand and other recretiorial areas, a village centre *itii 75,000 sq. ft. cf retail siiope and 15,000 sq. ft. of office space, and iiousing for over 6,000 people.- Within tii. marina a 200-room hotel is planned with restaurants and meeting rooms. . Runnymede Development Corporation IÀmited is the. largest developer in Ajar, with 2,200 homes in its Hermitage, Pickering Beach and Applecroft Village conimunities, and anotiier 1,200 homes still ta b. completed. Heritage Act to be strengthened Comprehensive new legislation ta strengthen and revise the Ontario Heritage Act àIll b. drafted, Christine Hart, former Minister of Culture and Communications, announced recently. A 10- year agenda tor achieving a series of goals that encarnpass a new vision of heritage was unveiled as the minister released the final report of the. Ontaria Heritage Policy Review, entitled 'A Strategy for Conserving Ontaria's Henitage.' 'We have revi.wed tiie variaus forms heritage takes: modern and traditional architecture, folklore and naturel landscapes are just a few examples," said Hart. "A fundainental element links tiiese resources togetiier -- eacii of them teils us something about wiio we are. Tii. development af' new heritage legislation wiil b. accaînplisiied tbrougii a consultation process that began recently witii a briefing session for 48 provincial organization;, ranging from traditional heritage groups te municipal, construction and teurism interest& , The sanie groups wil ha invited to participate in a two-day worksiiop in June ta provide feedback on tiiese legislative proposais. The Heritage Policy Review was launciied in 1987, and involved public meetings acroas the. province, wrtten submissions, and extensive discussions with gaverrnent #t* $# *#~i~5 $ * '* 4~ 4# 4I #f **# ItéL 4,~ * 4~t~e t 'l4 E< àI# e s'eê~~ t# te*44 CORPORATION 0F THE TOWN'0F WHITBY -NOTICE 0F PUBLIC MEETN THURSDAY, JUNE 2t,10W90@7100 P.M. Committo. Room Onie, WhibyMuàticpal BulikSng àè Whitby 0ntn Take notice that the Council ai the Town ai Whitby will b. considmring its rooedCaitlPrgre for the. pars 991 and 1992 at the DonaldG. McKay, Corporatiofaithe.Town af Whitby .1- :L