What explains firm transience in house-building? A regional analysis of Ontario, Canada, 1991 and 1996

Buzzelli M. (2005) What explains firm transience in house-building? A regional analysis of Ontario, Canada, 1991 and 1996, Regional Studies 39 , 699-712. This paper presents cross-sectional analyses of firm exit (1991) and entry (1996) in house-building using a geographic information system of firms in Ontario's 48 counties (regions). Ordinary least-squares and logit regressions of entry and exit rates reveal several regional determinants, some specific to the housing market (prior construction) and others usually found in regional studies of firm dynamics (population density, market growth, incomes, immigration, unemployment and home ownership). The results suggest that housing policy may be best administered at the regional scale - the scale at which builders typically operate in North America.