Canada housing starts are trending higher at 211,342 units in March 2017, compared to 205,521 units in February 2017, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This trend measure is a six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of housing starts. March housing starts were at their highest since September 2007. The increase is due to growth in single-detached and multi-unit starts in Ontario and continued growth of new rental apartments in Québec.
CMHC uses the trend measure as a complement to the monthly SAAR of housing starts to account for considerable swings in monthly estimates..
The standalone monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada was 253,720 units in March, up from 214,253 units in February. The SAAR of urban starts increased by 20.2 percent in March to 235,674 units. Multiple urban starts increased by 30.2 percent to 160,989 units in March, while single-detached urban starts increased by 3.1 percent, to 74,685 units. Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 18,046 units.