Acting Mayor Dave Austin suggests the results of today's public land lottery begs a clearer definition of what is meant by shortage.

Of the 119 lots available, 44 were taken up.

Even that number is likely to drop over the next 14 days as couples who double-billed settle on one lot, and others face the reality of making a final decision, says YTG land manager Bryony McIntyre.

She said builders will get the next crack Thursday morning at 35 of the remaining 75 lots, and 40 will be held for a public lottery next spring.

Austin said one does have to question what is a land shortage in real terms.

In real terms, he explained, the supply of lots this morning was larger than the demand by individual Yukoners.

The fall, however, is not the best time to put out residential lots, as successful applicants will have to carry the cost of that lot until the new building season begins next spring.

Even those who want to get going right now will have a tough time getting tradesworkers, he noted.

Austin did emphasize that the last of the 119 Copper Ridge lots now on the block, and it's important for the city to stay focused on the planning and development of the lower Porter Creek bench.

City hall and the Yukon government should also revisit their definition of shortage, he said, suggesting the term is used by the bureaucracy when there is anything less than a two-year supply of lots.

The term shortage, he agreed, can affect the market place.

Austin said there was no shortage this morning.

And with the builders getting their turn at the next 35, the price of those lots will be going up the minute they're purchased, as the cost of carrying those lots, along with the general mark-up, will now be passed on to the home buyers, Austin noted.

Don Macdonald of the Yukon Real Estate Association said today it will be interesting to see how many of the 35 lots will be taken up by contractors.

He cautioned, however, that with the last of the urban inventory for residential lots disappearing with these 119, it's his belief the crunch in availability will be felt as early as 2007.

The number of new houses in urban Whitehorse so far this year, and last year, Macdonald pointed out, is greater than the 119 that were available this morning, suggesting an inevitable shortage in urban lots next year.

There are no more lots, other than what's left of the 119, in the Yukon government's inventory of urban lots.

The government is planning a lottery later this year for the first 52 of the Whitehorse Copper rural residential lots.

There is also a move afoot to construct another 100 urban lots next to the Arkell subdivision, though it requires the approval of a city-wide referendum.

There is a suggestion at city hall that the referendum be held in conjunction with the Oct. 19 municipal elections.

Statistics from the Yukon's Bureau of Statistics show there were 216 permits issued for new houses in the City of Whitehorse last year, of which 120 were issued as Aug. 15, 2005. As of the middle of last month, 113 permits were issued, statistics show.