Housing starts for February 2026

OTTAWA, ON, March 16, 2026 /CNW/ - The six-month trend in housing starts was virtually flat in February, with a slight increase of 0.4% to 256,005 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.

Housing Starts in Canada - All Areas (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC))

Actual housing starts were up 10% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater, with 15,886 units recorded in February, compared to 14,420 units in February 2025. The year-to-date total was 31,974 units, up 5% from the same period in 2025, driven by higher starts to begin the year in British Columbia and Ontario, as higher starts across the province have, so far, made up for decreases in Toronto.

The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada increased 4.5% in February (250,900 units) compared to January (240,148 units).

Quote:
"In February, the six-month trend in housing starts was essentially flat, indicating that the trend in new construction activity remains relatively steady despite ongoing monthly volatility," said Kevin Hughes, CMHC's Deputy Chief Economist. "Looking ahead, we expect heightened levels of business uncertainty and construction costs to weigh on the rate and trend of housing starts in the near-to-medium term."

Key Facts:

• The rural starts monthly SAAR estimate was 20,400 units.
• Among Canada's three biggest cities, Montreal posted an 18% year-over-year increase in actual housing starts this month driven by higher multi-unit and single-detached starts. Vancouver recorded a 60% increase due to higher multi-unit and single-detached starts. Toronto starts declined 28% due to lower multi-unit and single-detached starts.
• New: As part of the Modernizing Housing Data initiative, new housing completions data for centres with a population of 10,000+ and absorptions data for centres with a population of 50,000+ is now available on the Housing Market Information Portal.
• CMHC's Starts and Completions Survey provides Canadians with objective, accurate and timely information on actual new residential construction in Canada. Read more about why housing starts 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 March housing starts data on April 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 our definitions and methodology to better understand the foundations of the Starts and Completions and Market Absorption surveys.

Housing starts facilitate the analysis of monthly, quarterly, and year-over-year 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.

CMHC plays a critical role as a national convenor to promote stability and sustainability in Canada's housing finance system. CMHC's mortgage insurance products support access to home ownership and the creation and maintenance of rental supply. CMHC research and data help inform housing policy. By facilitating co-operation between all levels of government, private and non-profit sectors, CMHC contributes to advancing housing affordability, equity, and climate compatibility. CMHC actively supports the Government of Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable.

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Related Links:

• Housing starts for January 2026
• Spring 2026 Housing Supply Report
• CMHC's 2026 Housing Market Outlook
• We built this city on… Development charges
• Framework for change: Productivity in housing construction

Housing Starts - Seasonally Adjusted at Annual Rates - 6 Month Moving Average (Trend)
February 2026
		Single-Detached			All Others			Total
		January 2026	February 2026	%	January 2026	February 2026	%	January 2026	February 2026	%
Provinces (10,000+)
Nfld.Lab.		747	769	3	447	454	2	1,194	1,223	2
P.E.I.		322	317	-2	790	646	-18	1,112	963	-13
N.S.		1,588	1,473	-7	5,664	5,673	0	7,252	7,146	-1
N.B.		1,148	1,065	-7	5,306	4,946	-7	6,454	6,011	-7
Que.		4,941	4,999	1	47,041	48,463	3	51,982	53,461	3
Ont.		10,135	9,753	-4	55,622	57,521	3	65,757	67,274	2
Man.		2,103	2,079	-1	5,696	5,564	-2	7,799	7,642	-2
Sask.		1,955	2,066	6	3,372	3,420	1	5,327	5,486	3
Alta.		13,325	13,422	1	35,571	35,015	-2	48,896	48,438	-1
B.C.		4,432	4,423	0	37,060	36,908	0	41,492	41,331	0
Canada (10,000+)		40,696	40,365	-1	196,569	198,609	1	237,266	238,973	1
Canada (All Areas)		50,691	49,972	-1	204,210	206,034	1	254,900	256,005	0
Metropolitan Areas
Abbotsford-Mission		178	178	-	1,154	1,034	-10	1,332	1,212	-9
Barrie		186	227	22	292	316	8	478	543	14
Belleville - Quinte West		158	136	-14	402	400	0	560	536	-4
Brantford		317	327	3	1,018	666	-35	1,335	992	-26
Calgary		5,844	5,915	1	20,338	19,026	-6	26,182	24,941	-5
Chilliwack		138	132	-4	414	428	3	552	560	1
Drummondville		224	242	8	1,294	1,206	-7	1,518	1,448	-5
Edmonton		5,610	5,560	-1	13,094	13,212	1	18,704	18,772	0
Fredericton		330	306	-7	1,170	1,088	-7	1,500	1,394	-7
Greater/Grand Sudbury		100	95	-5	306	284	-7	406	379	-7
Guelph		33	36	9	448	458	2	481	494	3
Halifax		861	793	-8	4,666	4,690	1	5,527	5,483	-1
Hamilton		347	297	-14	2,592	3,258	26	2,939	3,554	21
Kamloops		112	132	18	898	948	6	1,010	1,080	7
Kelowna		256	285	11	1,348	1,982	47	1,604	2,267	41
Kingston		278	270	-3	324	318	-2	602	588	-2
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo		551	530	-4	5,230	6,060	16	5,781	6,590	14
Lethbridge		337	345	2	114	180	58	451	525	16
London		386	395	2	4,222	4,134	-2	4,608	4,529	-2
Moncton		355	325	-8	2,446	2,003	-18	2,801	2,329	-17
Montréal		1,476	1,474	0	26,963	25,736	-5	28,439	27,210	-4
Nanaimo		101	94	-7	364	152	-58	465	246	-47
Oshawa		553	599	8	818	514	-37	1,371	1,113	-19
Ottawa-Gatineau		1,769	1,790	1	9,529	11,417	20	11,298	13,207	17
Gatineau		355	321	-10	1,079	1,301	21	1,434	1,622	13
Ottawa		1,414	1,469	4	8,450	10,116	20	9,864	11,585	17
Peterborough		80	83	4	0	0	-	80	83	4
Québec		731	777	6	6,020	6,632	10	6,751	7,409	10
Red Deer		91	88	-3	124	120	-3	216	209	-3
Regina		488	549	13	994	1,002	1	1,482	1,551	5
Saguenay		238	240	1	756	762	1	994	1,002	1
St. Catharines-Niagara		566	524	-7	2,380	2,650	11	2,946	3,174	8
Saint John		292	279	-4	530	518	-2	822	797	-3
St. John's		684	694	1	406	390	-4	1,090	1,084	-1
Saskatoon		1,423	1,463	3	2,358	2,386	1	3,781	3,849	2
Sherbrooke		231	253	10	1,740	2,062	19	1,971	2,315	17
Thunder Bay		77	80	4	292	324	11	369	404	9
Toronto		2,982	2,813	-6	24,838	23,090	-7	27,820	25,903	-7
Trois-Rivières		160	159	-1	1,252	1,032	-18	1,412	1,191	-16
Vancouver		2,310	2,313	0	25,818	25,392	-2	28,128	27,705	-2
Victoria		335	314	-6	4,352	3,440	-21	4,687	3,753	-20
Windsor		277	250	-10	940	864	-8	1,217	1,114	-8
Winnipeg		1,770	1,780	1	4,754	4,676	-2	6,524	6,456	-1

Data based on 2021 Census Definitions.

Source:  Market Analysis Centre, CMHC

Housing Start Data in Centres 10,000 Population and Over January - February 2025 - 2026
Area		Single-Detached			All Others			Total
Province
		2025	2026	%	2025	2026	%	2025	2026	%
N.L.		51	60	18	41	52	27	92	112	22
P.E.I.		28	26	-7	238	179	-25	266	205	-23
N.S.		133	140	5	919	689	-25	1,052	829	-21
N.B.		53	56	6	314	496	58	367	552	50
Atlantic		265	282	6	1,512	1,416	-6	1,777	1,698	-4
Que.		421	500	19	6,157	5,052	-18	6,578	5,552	-16
Ont.		1,072	937	-13	6,905	8,183	19	7,977	9,120	14
Man.		308	260	-16	423	667	58	731	927	27
Sask.		160	218	36	510	349	-32	670	567	-15
Alta.		2,099	1,653	-21	5,413	4,982	-8	7,512	6,635	-12
Prairies		2,567	2,131	-17	6,346	5,998	-5	8,913	8,129	-9
B.C.		490	523	7	4,642	6,952	50	5,132	7,475	46
Canada		4,815	4,373	-9	25,562	27,601	8	30,377	31,974	5
Metropolitan Areas
Abbotsford-Mission		14	13	-7	432	31	-93	446	44	-90
Barrie		15	22	47	51	36	-29	66	58	-12
Belleville - Quinte West		16	5	-69	165	4	-98	181	9	-95
Brantford		14	46	229	242	213	-12	256	259	1
Calgary		1,052	839	-20	2,984	2,553	-14	4,036	3,392	-16
Chilliwack		18	14	-22	46	17	-63	64	31	-52
Drummondville		16	29	81	85	84	-1	101	113	12
Edmonton		868	629	-28	1,821	1,850	2	2,689	2,479	-8
Fredericton		19	14	-26	2	92	##	21	106	405
Greater/Grand Sudbury		2	5	150	0	7	##	2	12	##
Guelph		1	3	200	1	19	##	2	22	##
Halifax		91	77	-15	861	604	-30	952	681	-28
Hamilton		27	28	4	427	653	53	454	681	50
Kamloops		26	30	15	92	423	360	118	453	284
Kelowna		28	29	4	445	515	16	473	544	15
Kingston		19	35	84	183	12	-93	202	47	-77
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo		29	44	52	460	1,179	156	489	1,223	150
Lethbridge		41	29	-29	103	40	-61	144	69	-52
London		55	45	-18	88	393	347	143	438	206
Moncton		11	11	-	272	242	-11	283	253	-11
Montréal		153	134	-12	3,244	2,300	-29	3,397	2,434	-28
Nanaimo		8	3	-63	79	10	-87	87	13	-85
Oshawa		15	58	287	4	45	##	19	103	442
Ottawa-Gatineau		246	215	-13	1,637	1,680	3	1,883	1,895	1
Gatineau		30	55	83	401	339	-15	431	394	-9
Ottawa		216	160	-26	1,236	1,341	8	1,452	1,501	3
Peterborough		15	7	-53	1	0	-100	16	7	-56
Québec		69	97	41	981	894	-9	1,050	991	-6
Red Deer		23	12	-48	14	17	21	37	29	-22
Regina		39	70	79	398	70	-82	437	140	-68
Saguenay		16	21	31	108	90	-17	124	111	-10
St. Catharines-Niagara		44	82	86	272	429	58	316	511	62
Saint John		8	22	175	26	14	-46	34	36	6
St. John's		50	58	16	41	48	17	91	106	16
Saskatoon		108	135	25	80	271	239	188	406	116
Sherbrooke		20	36	80	122	235	93	142	271	91
Thunder Bay		3	5	67	14	96	##	17	101	494
Toronto		386	262	-32	3,461	3,122	-10	3,847	3,384	-12
Trois-Rivières		14	9	-36	63	56	-11	77	65	-16
Vancouver		268	283	6	3,143	4,707	50	3,411	4,990	46
Victoria		27	33	22	219	527	141	246	560	128
Windsor		31	12	-61	64	16	-75	95	28	-71
Winnipeg		270	236	-13	328	596	82	598	832	39
Total		4,175	3,737	-10	23,059	24,190	5	27,234	27,927	3

1 Data for 2023, 2024 and 2025 based on 2021 Census Definitions.

Source: CMHC Starts and Completion Survey, Market Absorption Survey

Housing Start Data in Centres 10,000 Population and Over
	Single-Detached			All Others			Total
	February 2025	February 2026	%	February 2025	February 2026	%	February 2025	February 2026	%
Provinces (10,000+)
N.-L.	20	18	-10	19	27	42	39	45	15
P.E.I.	15	13	-13	48	92	92	63	105	67
N.S.	46	43	-7	435	428	-2	481	471	-2
N.B.	20	9	-55	270	203	-25	290	212	-27
Atlantic	101	83	-18	772	750	-3	873	833	-5
Qc	178	203	14	2,203	2,526	15	2,381	2,729	15
Ont.	522	387	-26	3,467	4,278	23	3,989	4,665	17
Man.	160	139	-13	159	515	224	319	654	105
Sask.	98	126	29	360	251	-30	458	377	-18
Alta.	1,127	956	-15	3,068	2,338	-24	4,195	3,294	-21
Prairies	1,385	1,221	-12	3,587	3,104	-13	4,972	4,325	-13
B.C.	236	247	5	1,969	3,087	57	2,205	3,334	51
Canada (10,000+)	2,422	2,141	-12	11,998	13,745	15	14,420	15,886	10
Metropolitan Areas
Abbotsford-Mission	4	4	-	152	7	-95	156	11	-93
Barrie	12	18	50	33	30	-9	45	48	7
Belleville - Quinte West	10	1	-90	165	0	-100	175	1	-99
Brantford	3	19	##	0	0	-	3	19	##
Calgary	500	424	-15	1,907	908	-52	2,407	1,332	-45
Chilliwack	8	7	-13	42	10	-76	50	17	-66
Drummondville	6	10	67	67	33	-51	73	43	-41
Edmonton	536	425	-21	942	1,072	14	1,478	1,497	1
Fredericton	9	2	-78	0	10	##	9	12	33
Greater/Grand Sudbury	0	1	##	0	3	##	0	4	##
Guelph	0	2	##	0	6	##	0	8	##
Halifax	31	20	-35	410	383	-7	441	403	-9
Hamilton	14	10	-29	410	501	22	424	511	21
Kamloops	15	9	-40	84	25	-70	99	34	-66
Kelowna	11	11	-	102	330	224	113	341	202
Kingston	15	9	-40	17	1	-94	32	10	-69
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo	12	11	-8	281	1,028	266	293	1,039	255
Lethbridge	19	19	-	0	34	##	19	53	179
London	23	19	-17	66	42	-36	89	61	-31
Moncton	3	2	-33	264	92	-65	267	94	-65
Montréal	52	56	8	805	955	19	857	1,011	18
Nanaimo	4	3	-25	79	3	-96	83	6	-93
Oshawa	9	24	167	4	38	##	13	62	377
Ottawa-Gatineau	143	110	-23	952	1,242	30	1,095	1,352	23
Gatineau	18	18	-	91	210	131	109	228	109
Ottawa	125	92	-26	861	1,032	20	986	1,124	14
Peterborough	9	5	-44	1	0	-100	10	5	-50
Québec	31	43	39	493	666	35	524	709	35
Red Deer	7	9	29	2	11	450	9	20	122
Regina	32	49	53	302	51	-83	334	100	-70
Saguenay	7	8	14	60	23	-62	67	31	-54
St. Catharines-Niagara	16	12	-25	189	329	74	205	341	66
Saint John	1	1	-	0	6	##	1	7	##
St. John's	20	17	-15	19	25	32	39	42	8
Saskatoon	59	70	19	39	194	397	98	264	169
Sherbrooke	12	22	83	69	195	183	81	217	168
Thunder Bay	0	4	##	0	16	##	0	20	##
Toronto	167	110	-34	1,312	962	-27	1,479	1,072	-28
Trois-Rivières	3	0	-100	23	8	-65	26	8	-69
Vancouver	127	137	8	1,277	2,104	65	1,404	2,241	60
Victoria	12	14	17	129	139	8	141	153	9
Windsor	18	5	-72	33	8	-76	51	13	-75
Winnipeg	137	126	-8	92	478	420	229	604	164
Total	2,097	1,848	-12	10,822	11,968	11	12,919	13,816	7

Data for 2022 based on 2016 Census Definitions and data for 2023, 2024 and 2025 based on 2021 Census Definitions.

Source: CMHC Starts and Completion Survey, Market Absorption Survey

## not calculable / extreme value

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

Information on this release: To request an interview with a CMHC economist, contact: Media Relations, CMHC, [e-mail]