Housing starts spike in April

OTTAWA — The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts for all areas in Canada excluding Quebec rose 10.8 percent in April from March, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. The SAAR of urban starts increased by 12.4 percent. Multiple urban starts increased by 35.7 percent while single-detached urban starts decreased by 27.1 percent. Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 7,285 units excluding Quebec. Statistics for Quebec, where construction resumed late in the month of April, will resume next month.