Canada’s Homebuilding Pace Falls Further

Canada’s homebuilding pace is shifting again—recent data shows the six-month trend in housing starts dipped about 1% to 244,000 units nationwide, with major centres seeing a 2% decline to 17,700 units. Year-to-date, we’re sitting at 149,500 new starts, which is about 4% behind where we were at this time in 2025. This underscores the continuing gap between construction activity and the ambitious targets policymakers have set for speeding up new home supply.

Economists at the national housing agency point out that, while starts remain higher than in some recent years, the downward trend looks likely to continue. Many in the industry are feeling the impact of ongoing geopolitical volatility and the US-Canada trade dispute, which have both driven up the cost of construction materials thanks to tariffs and other hurdles. The forecast? New-home construction is expected to keep declining through 2028, with condos facing particular pressure from high developer costs, softer demand, and extra inventory on the market.

In my work with buyers and sellers across North Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, and Downtown Vancouver, I see these trends playing out in real time. It’s a market where understanding both the big picture and the local nuances really matters.