Housing Starts

Definition:

The number of housing starts (all dwelling types) in a given area.

Methods and Limitations:

Data is collected as part of CMHC’s Starts and Completions Survey. For the purposes of the Starts and Completions Survey, a start is defined as the beginning of construction work on a building, usually when the concrete has been poured for the whole of the footing around the structure, or an equivalent stage where a basement will not be part of the structure.

The Starts and Completions Survey is conducted through site visits. These visits are used to confirm that new residential units have reached set stages in the construction process. Since most municipalities issue building permits, they are used as an indication of where construction is likely to take place. In areas where there are no permits, reliance is placed either on local sources or other field enumeration procedures. The Starts and Completions Survey is carried out monthly in Census Agglomerations.

Dwelling Type Definitions:

A “Single-Detached” dwelling (also referred to as “Single”) is a building containing only one dwelling unit, which is completely separated on all sides from any other dwelling or structure. Includes link homes, where two units may share a common basement wall but are separated above grade. Also includes cluster-single developments.

A “Semi-Detached (Double)” dwelling (also referred to as “Semi”) is 1 of 2 dwellings located side-by-side in a building, adjoining no other structure and separated by a common or party wall extending from ground to roof.

A “Row (Townhouse)” dwelling is a 1-family dwelling unit in a row of 3 or more attached dwellings separated by a common or party wall extending from ground to roof.

The term “Apartment and other” includes all dwellings other than those described above, including structures commonly known as stacked townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, double duplexes, and row duplexes.

A mobile home is typically defined as a type of manufactured house that is completely assembled in a factory and then moved to a foundation before it is occupied.

Dwellings excluded from the survey include:

• trailers or any other movable dwelling (the larger often referred to as a mobile home) with no permanent foundation
• conversions and/or alterations within an existing structure
• seasonal dwellings, such as: summer cottages, hunting and ski cabins, trailers, and boat houses
• hostel accommodations, such as: hospitals, nursing homes, penal institutions, convents, monasteries, military, and industrial camps
• collective types of accommodation such as: hotels, clubs, and lodging homes

 Housing starts are counted for housing in all intended markets. The intended market is the tenure (own or rent) in which the unit is being offered. This includes the following categories:

• A homeowner (or freehold) unit is a residence where the owner owns the dwelling and lot outright.
• A Condominium (including Strata-Titled) is an individual dwelling unit which is privately owned, but where the building and/or the land are collectively owned by all dwelling unit owners. A condominium is a form of ownership rather than a type of dwelling.
• A Rental unit is a dwelling constructed for rental purposes, regardless of who finances the structure.
• A Co-operative (Co-op) is a tenure type where occupants form an association or a corporation (typically non-profit). Co-op members own and operate a group of housing units, including common areas and other amenities. The members own a share in the co-operative, are entitled to occupy a unit and have access to common areas and amenities. Monthly housing charges are set by the members to cover the cost of running the co-op.

 Geographical areas modified every 5 years to reflect most recent census definitions, therefore, data are not strictly comparable historically.

These data are obtained from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and are provided subject to CMHC Licence Agreement for the Use of Data.

Source:

Canadian Housing Market Corporation. 2024. Housing Market Information Portal