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July 10, 2019HOUSING STARTS, JUNE 2019 
Nova Scotia's housing starts (seasonally adjusted annualized rate) rose to 7,794 (+119.7 per cent) in June compared to 3,547 in May. Compared to June 2018, housing starts were up 26.8 per cent.
The increase in June was primarily due to increased starts in Halifax, where housing starts increased 172.4 per cent to 6,324 in June compared to 2,322 in May. Halifax starts are up 48.6 per cent compared to June 2018.
Outside of Halifax, housing starts rose 20.0 per cent in June to 1,470 compared to 1,225 in May. Compared to June 2018, housing starts are down 22.3 per cent outside of Halifax.
The six-month moving average of housing starts in Nova Scotia and Halifax was relatively flat through 2017. During 2018, the six-month moving average rose due to higher starts for multiples and declined after reaching a peak in September. Since the early months of 2019, the six-month moving average has risen due to higher starts in the Halifax market.
In urban areas, housing starts for multiples are generally higher than for singles with greater variability month-to-month. The six-month moving average for singles is at levels similar to 2017, with a period in the first half of 2018 when it rose gradually before declining. The six-month moving average for multiples rose during the summer months of 2018 and declined until the first quarter of 2019. In recent months, the six-month moving average for multiples has been rising.
Nationally, housing starts rose 24.8 per cent in June to 245,657 compared to 196,809 in May. National housing starts are virtually unchanged from June 2018.
Comparing the first six months of 2019 with the same period of 2018, housing starts rose 1.7 per cent in Nova Scotia. Housing starts were up in five provinces, with the fastest increases reported in Manitoba (+22.2 per cent) and New Brunswick (+19.7 per cent). Newfoundland and Labrador (-63.6 per cent) reported the fastest decline year-to-date, followed by Saskatchewan (-38.0 per cent). Nationally, housing starts are down 6.9 per cent over January-June 2018.
Note: Urban areas are defined as areas over 10,000 people
Source: Statistics Canada
CHMC Housing Market Information Portal
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