OTTAWA Canada’s housing construction activity slowed in July, with the annual pace of housing starts falling five per cent from the previous month, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC).
The national housing agency reported a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 229,074 housing starts in July, down from 240,773 units in June.
Looking at actual monthly activity in centres with populations of 10,000 or more, housing starts reached 18,834 units in July, representing a 19 per cent decline from the 23,155 units recorded in July 2025.
CMHC estimated the annual pace of housing starts in rural areas at 11,274 units for July.
The agency’s six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate also edged lower. It stood at 247,377 units in July, down 0.5 per cent from June.
While new starts slowed, construction completions moved in the opposite direction. CMHC reported that 19,773 housing units were completed in July, an increase of 8.1 per cent compared with June.
The number of homes with approved building permits but where construction had not yet begun also increased during the month. The figure rose three per cent from June to 141,480 units in July.
The latest figures point to a mixed month for Canada’s housing construction sector, with new starts declining while completed projects and approved-but-not-yet-started units increased.
