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May 08, 2019HOUSING STARTS, APRIL 2019 
Nova Scotia's housing starts (seasonally adjusted annualized rate) decreased 17.7 per cent to 4,127 in April compared to 5,016 in March. Compared to April 2018, housing starts were up 3.8 per cent.
Housing starts decreased 47.5 per cent in Halifax to 2,307 in April compared to 4,398 in March. Halifax starts are down 8.5 per cent compared to April 2018.
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.
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 has declined since September 2018.
Nationally, housing starts are up 22.6 per cent in April to 235,460 compared to 191,981 in March. National housing starts are up 9.7 per cent compared to April 2018.
Comparing the first four months of 2019 with the same period of 2018, housing starts were down in nine provinces. The largest declines were in Newfoundland and Labrador (-73.7 per cent), Saskatchewan (-41.7 per cent) and Prince Edward Island (-40.3 per cent). Manitoba (+6.6 per cent) reported the only increase in housing starts over January-April 2018.
Note: Urban areas are defined as areas over 10,000 people
Statistics Canada Table 34-10-0158-01 and Table 34-10-0156-01
CHMC Housing Market Information Portal
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