The six-month trend in housing starts was down in June compared to May, with a decrease of 2.8% to 248,123 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 13% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or more, with 20,265 units recorded in June, compared to 23,292 units in June 2025. The year-to-date total was 113,017 units, down 1% from the same period in 2025, said the CMHC.
The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada decreased 6% in June (238,971 units) compared to May (253,083 units), it said.
The number of units under construction in centres with a population of 50,000 or more was flat in June, up 0.2% month-over-month to 375,469 units compared to May. Completions increased as construction finished on 18,298 units, up 8.4% compared to May. The number of units with approved building permits but not yet started fell 1.1% month-to-month to 137,324 units in June, it added.
"Through the first six months of the year, the rate of housing starts in Canada is lower than last year's rate, in line with our baseline forecast published in February. There is little doubt that the slowdown reflects rising uncertainty, higher development costs, weaker demand and more unsold homes. Looking forward, we expect that this environment will continue to hold back new housing construction in Canada over the short-to-medium term and drive 2026 actual housing starts below last year's levels," said Kevin Hughes, Deputy Chief Economist with CMHC.