This study was undertaken to examine both the short- and long-term implications of reduced new house demand on the housing industry, and from this information, to consider appropriate public policy intervention. A literature review identifies macro-economic factors affecting the housing industry in the 1970s & 1980s, considers changes due to those factors, and elucidates the effects those factors are having on the structure of the housing industry. Government policy at the federal, provincial (Manitoba), & municipal (Winnipeg) levels is reviewed as it relates to long- & short-term change in housing activity, with particular attention to the effects of housing policy on production. Demographic trends & their implications for the Canadian, Manitoban, & Winnipeg housing markets are evaluated. To further discussion & extend it to consider future change, a more detailed examination is made of the Winnipeg housing industry, using three primary data sources: building permit data, capital cost allowance data, and surveys & interviews of local industry participants. The results demonstrate the need for a variety of solutions to address housing demand, industry reorganization & alternative functions, development of knowledge & skills for industry members, and industry capability to develop realistic demand forecasts.

This study uses data from the 1981 Census to determine the level of mobility of households in Winnipeg. The study creates a profile, based on selected characteristics, of household mobility in Winnipeg between 1976 & 1981 and relates household mobility to present housing in order to ascertain patterns in locational & housing choices. Results are presented for Winnipeg by area, tenure, mobility status, & such characteristics as length of residency and housing type & condition; and for City Centre-Fort Rouge and Lord Selkirk-West Kildonian for selected characteristics. The final section uses supplemental data (population statistics from the Census and building data for Winnipeg) to summarize additional aspects of urban mobility.