CMHC reports annual pace of housing starts down in May compared with April

Carpenters build new homes in Ottawa on Monday, June 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in May fell six per cent compared with April.

The agency says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts came in at 261,377 units for May, down from 278,380 in April.

The six-month moving average for May edged up 0.5 per cent to 258,010 units compared with 256,646 in April.

The results came as CMHC says the number of units under construction in centres with a population of 50,000 or more rose 0.9 per cent month-over-month to 374,662 in May, while completions rose 10.6 per cent compared with April to 16,880 units.

The number of units with approved building permits but not yet started was down 2.4 per cent month-over-month to 138,842 units in May.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of rural starts was estimated at 14,357 units for May.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2026.