OTTAWA – The six-month trend in housing starts was lower in March, with a decrease of 2.9% to 248,378 units, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The trend measure is a six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of total housing starts for all areas in Canada. Actual housing starts were up 10% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater, with 16,398 units recorded in March, compared to 14,935 units in March 2025. The year-to-date total was 49,206 units, up 9% from the same period in 2025, driven by higher starts to begin the year in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada decreased 6% in March (235,852 units) compared to February (250,961 units).