Housing starts plunge in August

The annualized rate of housing starts in Canada fell by 22 percent in August to 217,405 units, StatCan reports, down from 279,804 units in July. In urban centres, there have been 149,922 actual housing starts year-to-date between January and August. That compares to 143,229 for the same period in 2023, meaning actual housing starts are currently five percent higher this year.