Housing starts in Canadian centres of 10,000 people or more fall 11% on the year in September
CMHC recorded 19,984 starts in September against 22,375 a year earlier. Starts for January to September total 170,964, which is 4% lower than a year earlier.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) published its housing starts figures for September 2026. In centres with a population of 10,000 or more, actual monthly housing starts were 19,984 in September, against 22,375 in September 2025, a fall of 11% on the year.
The year so far
From January to September, actual housing starts in centres of 10,000 or more totalled 170,964, down 4% from the same period in 2025. The fall is larger in the single month than in the year to date, so the decline has been building through the summer.
Reading it
CMHC's figures for the larger centres measure work started on new homes in the cities where most of the population lives. A monthly fall of 11% can reflect timing, but the year-to-date decline suggests that construction is slowing more generally. The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% in September (report).
For the consumer price side of the same picture, see Canada's August inflation report. Live prices: USD/CAD.
Sources
Common questions
How many housing starts were there in Canada in September 2026?
CMHC recorded 19,984 actual housing starts in centres of 10,000 or more people, against 22,375 a year earlier, a fall of 11%.
What were Canada's housing starts for the year to September 2026?
Starts from January to September totalled 170,964 in centres of 10,000 or more, down 4% on the same period of 2025.
What does CMHC's housing starts data measure?
It counts the start of construction on new dwellings, in urban centres of 10,000 or more people for the actual monthly series.
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