The number of new houses started in the Barrie Census Area is up, according to new data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Preliminary CMHC data show builders started a total of 220 new homes in the first three months of 2008 compared the 154 started in the first quarter of 2007.

The Barrie Census Area includes City of Barrie, The Town of Innisfil, and Springwater Township.

The area’s numbers were greatly influenced by Innisfil where 100 homes were built in the first quarter of this year, compared to only 40 in 2007.

Numbers were actually down by one home in Barrie where 103 homes were started compared to the 104 last year.

In Springwater, there were 17 starts this year, compared to 100 in the same period last year.

The CMHC said the numbers showed a great increase in single homes in the area, despite the rising costs.

Single homes starts were up to 208 homes compared to 115 last year.

The data also included numbers for Bradford-West Gwillimbury Township where homes started jumped 400 per cent to 55 homes in 2008 from 11 in 2007, and New Tecumseth Township where the number of homes started increased 319.4 per cent to 151 compared to 36 in 2007.