OTTAWA -- The pace of Canadian housing construction starts picked up nationally in September despite a decline in Ontario.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of starts was 220,617 in September, up from 184,201 units in August.
In London, the trend measure for total housing starts increased from 3,616 units in August to 3,713 units in September, according to CMHC. The trend is a six month moving average of the monthly Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates (SAAR) of housing starts.
The monthly SAAR of total starts decreased from 4,607 units in August to 2,109 units in September, primarily due to a slowdown in homes started in multi-unit structures.
The monthly SAAR of homes started in multi-unit structures is quite volatile month-to-month in London. The monthly SAAR of single-detached starts, which is far steadier month to month, increased in September.
CMHC says construction of urban multiple-unit dwellings such as townhouses, condominiums and apartments were the main reason for the increase in most regions, particularly Quebec.
Toronto was an exception, with the seasonally adjusted rate dropping to 30,232 units from 40,406 units in August -- mainly as a result of fewer apartment starts.
Canada's most populous city helped pull down Ontario's overall activity to 67,426 housing starts in September, from 70,262 units in August, although several smaller cities across the province also recorded declines from one month to the next.
With files from CTV London.
Quebec saw the largest gain in housing starts last month, due to the development of new rental apartments for seniors. There were also increases in British Columbia, the Prairies and Atlantic Canada.
