DATA
Housing starts, six-month trend
244,149
units, SAAR trend
- Geography
- Canada
- Period
- August 2026
CMHC six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate of total housing starts.
Country dossier
Housing in Canada
A high-price housing market with an official estimate of how much more construction would be required to restore affordability.
Overview
Canada publishes some of the clearest official estimates of a housing supply gap. CMHC's 2026 work argues that annual starts would need to reach 417,000 to 469,000 homes to restore pre-pandemic affordability by 2036, while current construction is slowing. OECD price-to-income data place Canada among the most stretched high-income markets.
Key Housing Statistics
DATA
Annual starts needed to restore pre-pandemic affordability by 2036
417,000–469,000
homes per year
- Geography
- Canada
- Period
- through 2036
CMHC modeled range. The width reflects different assumptions about how strongly households respond to lower prices.
Current Situation
CMHC reported a 244,149-unit six-month trend in housing starts in August 2026, with year-to-date starts down 4% in larger centres. Completions and units under construction remain historically elevated in some markets, but the agency warns that ownership-oriented construction is weakening even as rental supply has expanded.
Where It May Be Headed
Housing Policies
Federal, provincial, and municipal tools all matter in Canada: immigration and household formation, development charges, zoning, and CMHC finance. Policy discussion here stays attached to official estimates.
Affordability
This heading is part of the standing country/city template. Content is added when a sourced statistic or analysis exists for Canada. Until then the section remains a labeled slot rather than a fabricated narrative.
Housing Supply
This heading is part of the standing country/city template. Content is added when a sourced statistic or analysis exists for Canada. Until then the section remains a labeled slot rather than a fabricated narrative.
Renting
This heading is part of the standing country/city template. Content is added when a sourced statistic or analysis exists for Canada. Until then the section remains a labeled slot rather than a fabricated narrative.
Homeownership
This heading is part of the standing country/city template. Content is added when a sourced statistic or analysis exists for Canada. Until then the section remains a labeled slot rather than a fabricated narrative.
Construction
This heading is part of the standing country/city template. Content is added when a sourced statistic or analysis exists for Canada. Until then the section remains a labeled slot rather than a fabricated narrative.
Population & Demographics
This heading is part of the standing country/city template. Content is added when a sourced statistic or analysis exists for Canada. Until then the section remains a labeled slot rather than a fabricated narrative.
Latest News
- CMHC: Canadian housing starts trend slips again in August
Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation · 16 September 2026
- CMHC revises 2026 outlook: fewer sales, slightly lower prices
Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation · 27 July 2026
- CMHC: Canada still needs 417,000 to 469,000 starts a year
Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation · 15 January 2026
FAQs
Is CMHC saying Canada is short 417,000 homes right now?
No. CMHC's 417,000–469,000 range is an estimate of the annual construction pace needed through 2036 to restore pre-pandemic affordability, given its model. The associated annual supply gap versus business-as-usual is smaller. Read the range as a trajectory, not a one-year deficit.
Sources & Data
[1] Tier 1 — Primary
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Housing starts and construction data for August 2026.
Published: 16 September 2026Dataset period: August 2026Accessed: 16 September 2026Type: datasetScope: CanadaCMHC six-month trend in housing starts of 244,149 units in August 2026, down 1.3% from July. Year-to-date starts in centres of 10,000+ were 149,542, down 4% from 2025.
Open original source[2] Tier 1 — Primary
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Slowing home construction threatens recent affordability gains.
Published: 1 January 2026Dataset period: 2026Accessed: 16 September 2026Type: researchScope: CanadaCMHC estimates Canada needs 417,000 to 469,000 housing starts a year to restore affordability to pre-pandemic levels by 2036.
Open original source