The Saskatoon and Region Home Builders Association is expecting a better year in 2020.

It notes the Conference Board of Canada is predicting the Saskatoon economy to grow by just over one-and-a-half percent.

The fourth quarter for the region which includes Warman, Corman Park, Martensville, Osler and Prince Albert was marked with declines.

New home sales were off nine-percent when compared to 2018 and housing starts fell by over 18-percent.

The sharpest drops came in permits for single-family homes with Saskatoon’s figure down close to 14-and-a-half percent and Prince Albert’s declining 88-percent.

Multi-family permits were the bright spot for the final three months of 2019. They increased by 17-and-a-half percent region wide with nine out of every ten of those permits processed in Saskatoon.