Canada: Housing starts rise in May
Housing starts rose to 287,257 units on a seasonally-adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) basis in May according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), up 8% from April’s reading. Housing starts in April–May averaged well above their Q1 level, boding well for residential investment in the second quarter.
On the outlook for housing starts, TD Economics’ Rishi Sondhi said:
“Builders continue to break ground on new homes at a very healthy clip. This is because housing starts are in large part a function of past sales activity. This fact, alongside low levels of new home inventories, underpins our expectation that housing starts will remain elevated through this year. Notably, permit issuance is currently elevated, in line with this view. However, we look for starts to trend notably lower in 2023, as rising rates and cooling activity weigh on homebuilding.”