Housing starts in Canada rose 3% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 248,896 units in September 2026, up from a revised 242,223 units in August and above market expectations of 232,500 units. Rural starts were estimated at 18,094 units. Actual monthly housing starts were down 11% year-on-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or more, with 19,984 units recorded in September 2026. Montréal’s six-month trend fell 8% month-to-month, driven by lower multi-unit starts, while Vancouver rose 6% on higher multi-unit starts. Toronto’s trend was flat. Year-to-date housing starts totaled 170,964 units, down 4% from the same period in 2025. The six-month trend was virtually unchanged at 250,411 units.