The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has released its latest new home starts data, providing valuable insight into residential construction activity across the London CMA.
Key Highlights for March 2026:
- 560 new home starts were recorded in the London Census Metropolitan Area, mostly consisting of purpose-built rental apartments in East and South London.
- There were 998 new home starts in the London CMA in the first three months of 2026. This activity was well above the January to March ten-year median of 645, which is a benchmark for typical activity in the region.
- In the City of London, there were 896 starts in the first three months of 2026, which was well above their January to March ten-year median of 504.
- In St. Thomas, there were 45 starts in the first three months of 2026, which was equal to their January to March ten-year median of 45.
- In the remainder of the London CMA, there were 57 starts in the first three months of 2026, which was below that region’s January to March ten-year median of 89.
The attached report includes detailed data for our region, broken down by municipality and dwelling type, along with a neighbourhood spotlight highlighting where construction activity was concentrated.
Why This Matters
Housing starts are an important indicator of future housing supply and market activity. Tracking new construction trends can help REALTORS® better understand local development patterns and potential impacts on inventory levels.
Additional Resources
- Why Housing Starts Matter
- National News Release
- Housing Market Information Portal
- New Construction Data Tables
This update pertains to new home starts (homes added to newly poured foundations).
CMHC separately tracks and publishes data on up-conversion housing starts (homes to be added to existing structures), released on the final working day of each month, available at the following link: Residential Conversions Data Tables
