Housing Starts and Construction Data for September 2026

October 19, 2026

The six-month trend in housing starts was flat in September, with a slight increase of 0.6 to 250,411 units, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The trend measure is a six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of total housing starts for all areas in Canada.

Actual monthly housing starts were down 11% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or more, with 19,984 units recorded in September 2026, compared to 22,375 units in September 2025. The year-to-date total of actual housing starts in centres with a population of 10,000 or more was 170,964 units from January to September 2026, down 4% from the same period in 2025.

The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada was up 3% in September (248,896 units) compared to August (242,223 units).

The number of units under construction in centres with a population of 50,000 or more in September was flat month-over-month at 371,617 units compared to August. Completions decreased with construction finishing on 17,398 units, down 0.9% compared to August. The number of units with approved building permits but not yet started increased 1.1% month-to-month to 143,929 units in September.

Key Facts:

• The rural starts monthly SAAR estimate was 18,094 units.
• Among Canada’s three largest CMAs, Montreal posted an 8% month-to-month decrease in the six-month trend, driven by lower multi-unit starts. Vancouver recorded a 6% increase due to higher multi-unit starts while the trend measure in Toronto was flat, as the trends for both single-detached and multi-unit starts offset each other.
• Read more about what housing starts measure and why they matter on CMHC’s Housing Observer.
• Monthly Housing Starts and Other Construction Data are accessible in English and French on our website and the CMHC Housing Market Information Portal.
• Housing starts data is available on the eleventh business day each month. We will release the October housing starts data on November 17 at 8:15 AM ET.
• CMHC uses the trend measure as a complement to the monthly SAAR of housing starts to account for considerable swings in monthly estimates and to obtain a clearer picture of upcoming new housing supply. In some situations, analyzing only SAAR data can be misleading, as the multi-unit segment largely drives the market and can vary significantly from one month to the next.
• Read about CMHC’s definitions and methodology to better understand the foundations of the Starts and Completions and Market Absorption surveys.

Housing starts data facilitates the analysis of monthly, quarterly, and year-over-year construction activity in the new home market. The data CMHC collects as part of the Starts and Completions and Market Absorption surveys helps us obtain a clearer picture of upcoming new housing supply and is used as part of our various housing reports.

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