Housing starts increase in May

OTTAWA — The standalone monthly SAAR of housing starts in Canada was 198,324 units in May, a slight increase from 196,687 in April as the spring thaw allowed for fewer building interruptions. The SAAR of urban starts increased to 180,813 units. Multiple urban starts decreased to 117,709 units while the single-detached urban starts segment increased to 63,104 units. In May, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts increased in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and British Columbia, held steady in Ontario, and decreased in the Prairies. In Toronto, the stand alone monthly SAAR was 37,594 units in May, up from 36,076 in April.