CMHC reports seasonally adjusted rate of housing starts slowed in February

A new housing project is shown under construction in Milton, Ontario on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

OTTAWA — OTTAWA — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in February slowed four per cent compared with January.

The national housing agency says the seasonally adjusted annual rate housing starts came in at 229,030 units for February, down from 239,322 in January.

The result came as the pace of starts for single-detached homes fell one per cent to 56,273 in February compared with 56,794 in January. The rate of all other housing starts dropped five per cent to 172,759 in February compared with 182,529 a month earlier.

CMHC says the seasonally adjusted annual pace of starts for cities with a population of 10,000 or greater fell five per cent in February to 209,784 compared with 220,074 in January.

The seasonally adjusted annual pace of rural starts was estimated at 19,246 units for February.

The six-month moving average for the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts in February was 239,382, up 1.1 per cent from January.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2025.

The Canadian Press