{
  "id": "housing-starts",
  "category": "Housing and homelessness",
  "title": "New homes started (last 12 months)",
  "geography": "Victoria census metropolitan area (Greater Victoria)",
  "scope": "region",
  "levels": [
    "Private builders",
    "Municipal and Provincial approvals and policy"
  ],
  "plain_question": "How many new homes did builders begin construction on over the past year?",
  "value": 4060.0,
  "display_value": "4,060",
  "unit": "homes started (total of the latest 12 months)",
  "period": "12 months to September 2026",
  "period_start": "2025-10-01",
  "period_end": "2026-09-01",
  "comparison": {
    "previous_period": "12 months to September 2025",
    "previous_value": 4890.0,
    "change_percent": -17.0
  },
  "trend": "worsening",
  "trend_basis": "4,060 homes in the 12 months to September 2026 compared with 4,890 in the 12 months to September 2025 (-17.0%).",
  "direction_good": "up",
  "right_direction": "A higher number means builders began construction on more new homes.",
  "caveats": [
    "A start is when construction begins on a new home (the foundation is in place). It is not a completion and does not show whether homes are affordable.",
    "Monthly counts swing a lot, because one large building can add hundreds of homes in a single month, so this page adds up 12 months. The 12-month total is calculated here from CMHC's monthly counts.",
    "Counts include all home types (houses, row homes, apartments and condominiums, and purpose-built rentals).",
    "The area is the Victoria census metropolitan area, which is larger than the City of Victoria. Geographic definitions are updated every five years, so historical comparisons are not exact.",
    "Longer views (10 years and more) show one total per calendar year, January to December, added up here from the same monthly counts, back to 1972, the first year in the table. The 5-year view shows the 12-month total to each month. Statistics Canada notes that the area is redrawn every five years to follow the latest census, so years far apart are not strictly comparable."
  ],
  "series": [
    {
      "period": "2021-09",
      "value": 4350.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2021-10",
      "value": 4397.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2021-11",
      "value": 4513.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2021-12",
      "value": 4809.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-01",
      "value": 4879.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-02",
      "value": 5135.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-03",
      "value": 4655.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-04",
      "value": 4627.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-05",
      "value": 4764.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-06",
      "value": 4639.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-07",
      "value": 4990.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-08",
      "value": 4781.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-09",
      "value": 4635.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-10",
      "value": 4902.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-11",
      "value": 5154.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022-12",
      "value": 4787.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-01",
      "value": 4964.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-02",
      "value": 4851.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-03",
      "value": 5055.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-04",
      "value": 4816.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-05",
      "value": 4619.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-06",
      "value": 4888.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-07",
      "value": 4379.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-08",
      "value": 4680.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-09",
      "value": 4626.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-10",
      "value": 4754.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-11",
      "value": 4618.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023-12",
      "value": 4992.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-01",
      "value": 4711.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-02",
      "value": 4686.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-03",
      "value": 4820.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-04",
      "value": 5235.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-05",
      "value": 5252.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-06",
      "value": 5084.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-07",
      "value": 4978.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-08",
      "value": 4761.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-09",
      "value": 4905.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-10",
      "value": 4466.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-11",
      "value": 4312.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2024-12",
      "value": 4185.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-01",
      "value": 4108.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-02",
      "value": 3974.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-03",
      "value": 3881.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-04",
      "value": 3766.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-05",
      "value": 3992.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-06",
      "value": 4618.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-07",
      "value": 4846.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-08",
      "value": 5026.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-09",
      "value": 4890.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-10",
      "value": 4955.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-11",
      "value": 4913.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2025-12",
      "value": 4859.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-01",
      "value": 5161.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-02",
      "value": 5173.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-03",
      "value": 4939.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-04",
      "value": 5412.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-05",
      "value": 5269.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-06",
      "value": 4392.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-07",
      "value": 3977.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-08",
      "value": 3411.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2026-09",
      "value": 4060.0
    }
  ],
  "refresh_frequency": "Monthly",
  "data_published": "2026-10-19",
  "source": {
    "name": "Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Starts and Completions Survey, published by Statistics Canada",
    "url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3410015401",
    "dataset_url": "https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/d0e77820-0bd2-4fcd-9098-17fb3283ae12",
    "table_url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3410015401",
    "table": "34-10-0154-01",
    "publisher_page": "https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-data/data-tables/housing-market-data",
    "locator": "Statistics Canada table 34-10-0154-01: Victoria, total units, housing starts, 12 months to September 2026"
  },
  "licence": {
    "name": "CMHC Licence Agreement for the Use of Data",
    "url": "https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/about-us/terms-conditions/hmip-terms-conditions",
    "also_listed_as": {
      "name": "Open Government Licence - Canada",
      "url": "https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada"
    },
    "note": "The open.canada.ca record lists this table under the Open Government Licence - Canada; the Statistics Canada table footnote says CMHC's licence governs. Both allow free reuse with attribution."
  },
  "attribution": "Adapted from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Starts and Completions Survey (housing starts, all unit types), 12 months to September 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation of this product. Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 34-10-0154-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.",
  "retrieved_at": "2026-11-12T01:29:08Z",
  "long": {
    "lines": [
      {
        "name": "Greater Victoria (calendar year)",
        "area": "cma",
        "series": [
          {
            "period": "1972",
            "value": 4192
          },
          {
            "period": "1973",
            "value": 4013
          },
          {
            "period": "1974",
            "value": 2630
          },
          {
            "period": "1975",
            "value": 3980
          },
          {
            "period": "1976",
            "value": 4439
          },
          {
            "period": "1977",
            "value": 3166
          },
          {
            "period": "1978",
            "value": 1916
          },
          {
            "period": "1979",
            "value": 1737
          },
          {
            "period": "1980",
            "value": 2689
          },
          {
            "period": "1981",
            "value": 3030
          },
          {
            "period": "1982",
            "value": 1394
          },
          {
            "period": "1983",
            "value": 1744
          },
          {
            "period": "1984",
            "value": 1284
          },
          {
            "period": "1985",
            "value": 1745
          },
          {
            "period": "1986",
            "value": 1661
          },
          {
            "period": "1987",
            "value": 2574
          },
          {
            "period": "1988",
            "value": 2459
          },
          {
            "period": "1989",
            "value": 3247
          },
          {
            "period": "1990",
            "value": 2588
          },
          {
            "period": "1991",
            "value": 2129
          },
          {
            "period": "1992",
            "value": 2421
          },
          {
            "period": "1993",
            "value": 2633
          },
          {
            "period": "1994",
            "value": 2303
          },
          {
            "period": "1995",
            "value": 1299
          },
          {
            "period": "1996",
            "value": 1142
          },
          {
            "period": "1997",
            "value": 1311
          },
          {
            "period": "1998",
            "value": 964
          },
          {
            "period": "1999",
            "value": 1340
          },
          {
            "period": "2000",
            "value": 872
          },
          {
            "period": "2001",
            "value": 1264
          },
          {
            "period": "2002",
            "value": 1344
          },
          {
            "period": "2003",
            "value": 2008
          },
          {
            "period": "2004",
            "value": 2363
          },
          {
            "period": "2005",
            "value": 2058
          },
          {
            "period": "2006",
            "value": 2739
          },
          {
            "period": "2007",
            "value": 2579
          },
          {
            "period": "2008",
            "value": 1905
          },
          {
            "period": "2009",
            "value": 1034
          },
          {
            "period": "2010",
            "value": 2118
          },
          {
            "period": "2011",
            "value": 1642
          },
          {
            "period": "2012",
            "value": 1700
          },
          {
            "period": "2013",
            "value": 1685
          },
          {
            "period": "2014",
            "value": 1315
          },
          {
            "period": "2015",
            "value": 2008
          },
          {
            "period": "2016",
            "value": 2933
          },
          {
            "period": "2017",
            "value": 3862
          },
          {
            "period": "2018",
            "value": 4273
          },
          {
            "period": "2019",
            "value": 3499
          },
          {
            "period": "2020",
            "value": 3209
          },
          {
            "period": "2021",
            "value": 4809
          },
          {
            "period": "2022",
            "value": 4787
          },
          {
            "period": "2023",
            "value": 4992
          },
          {
            "period": "2024",
            "value": 4185
          },
          {
            "period": "2025",
            "value": 4859
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "Homes started each calendar year",
    "note": "Calendar-year totals (January to December), added up here from CMHC's monthly counts, 1972 to 2025. The 5-year view shows the 12-month total to each month",
    "monthly_note": "Total of the 12 months to each month. The 10-year, 20-year and All views show calendar-year totals"
  },
  "licence_type": "open",
  "status_rule": {
    "rule": "One rule for every measure: a change smaller than 5% of the earlier value, or smaller than the agency's own margin of error, is “About the same”; no change is calculated across a marked break in a series; homelessness estimates, prices, staffing and comparison pages are shown for context without a label.",
    "reason": "The change is 17.0% of the earlier value, at or above the 5% threshold.",
    "threshold_percent": 5.0
  },
  "changes": {
    "year": {
      "period": "12 months to September 2025",
      "value": 4890.0,
      "text": "vs Sep 2025: -17.0%"
    },
    "five_year": {
      "period": "2021-09",
      "years": 5,
      "value": 4350.0,
      "comparable": true,
      "text": "vs 2021-09: −6.7%"
    }
  },
  "direction": {
    "type": "outcome",
    "rule": "Outcome measures read Better, Worse or About the same; published government targets read Ahead of, On or Behind target; value-judgement measures read Rising, Falling or Steady in a neutral colour. A change smaller than the agency's own margin of error, or otherwise smaller than 5% of the earlier value, is About the same (or Steady). No change is calculated across a marked break in a series.",
    "key": "worse",
    "label": "Worse",
    "arrow": "▼",
    "rel": -17.0,
    "delta": null,
    "vs": "12 months to September 2025",
    "cur": "12 months to September 2026",
    "why": "The change is 17.0% of the earlier value, at or above the 5% threshold.",
    "change": "17%",
    "one_year": "−17.0%",
    "five": {
      "period": "2021-09",
      "comparable": true,
      "rel": -6.666666666666667,
      "text": "−6.7%",
      "years": 5
    }
  },
  "source_tier": 1,
  "measure_kind": "outcome",
  "better_measure": null,
  "benchmark": {
    "rung": 2,
    "rung_name": "Higher government target or benchmark",
    "as_of": "2026-11-12",
    "items": [
      {
        "kind": "related",
        "label": "Related target",
        "text": "Related targets, not drawn: the Province’s housing target orders for 10 of the 13 municipalities in Greater Victoria count net new homes completed, not homes started, and each covers one municipality over five years. A start is not a completion: homes started are not yet ready to live in. The ten orders are listed on the homes completed page.",
        "area": "10 of the 13 municipalities in Greater Victoria",
        "source": {
          "title": "Housing target orders (list of orders, with a link to each)",
          "publisher": "Province of B.C.",
          "date": "page updated August 29, 2025",
          "url": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/local-governments-and-housing/housing-targets/orders",
          "terms": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/home/copyright",
          "refresh": "When the Province makes or changes an order",
          "licence": "Public document, not under an open licence. Quoted with attribution.",
          "checked": "2026-11-12",
          "key": "hto_orders"
        },
        "documents_checked": null,
        "see": "homes-completed-vs-population"
      },
      {
        "kind": "note",
        "label": "Note",
        "text": "The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs 2026/27 to 2028/29 Service Plan (February 2026) has no target for housing starts.",
        "area": "British Columbia",
        "source": {
          "title": "Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs 2026/27 to 2028/29 Service Plan",
          "publisher": "Province of B.C.",
          "date": "February 2026",
          "url": "https://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2026/sp/pdf/ministry/hous.pdf",
          "terms": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/home/copyright",
          "refresh": "Yearly, with the provincial budget (February)",
          "licence": "Public document, not under an open licence. Quoted with attribution.",
          "checked": "2026-11-12",
          "key": "hous_sp"
        },
        "documents_checked": null
      }
    ],
    "drawn": [],
    "rule": "Highest rung found is shown; the site never sets a target. Methods, Targets."
  },
  "benchmarks": [
    {
      "rung": 2,
      "kind": "related",
      "label": "Related targets, not drawn: the Province’s housing target orders for 10 of the 13 municipalities in Greater Victoria count net new homes completed, not homes started, and each covers one municipality over five years. A start is not a completion: homes started are not yet ready to live in. The ten orders are listed on the homes completed page.",
      "short": null,
      "document": "hto_orders",
      "page": null,
      "area": "10 of the 13 municipalities in Greater Victoria",
      "fit": "text_only",
      "same_area": false,
      "related_reason": "Different unit, definition, period or area; written under the chart, not drawn.",
      "document_url": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/local-governments-and-housing/housing-targets/orders",
      "applies_here": false,
      "same_measure": false
    }
  ],
  "highest_rung": null,
  "decided_by": [
    {
      "body": "MUN",
      "name": "Municipal councils of Greater Victoria (13)",
      "decides": "Each council decides zoning and approves new housing in its own area.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "lga479",
          "label": "Local Government Act, s. 479",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/r15001_14#section479"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    },
    {
      "body": "BC",
      "name": "Province of B.C.",
      "decides": "Can set housing targets for a municipality.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "hsa2",
          "label": "Housing Supply Act, s. 2",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/22038#section2"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    },
    {
      "body": "CAN",
      "name": "Government of Canada and Parliament",
      "decides": "Finances and insures housing loans through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "nha3",
          "label": "National Housing Act, s. 3",
          "url": "https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/N-11/FullText.html"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    }
  ],
  "main_decision_maker": "Municipal councils of Greater Victoria (13)",
  "label_1y": {
    "key": "worse",
    "label": "Worse"
  },
  "label_long": {
    "key": "worse",
    "label": "Worse",
    "years": 5,
    "change": "−6.7%"
  },
  "target_line": {
    "form": 5,
    "text": "Related target only",
    "target": null,
    "gap": null,
    "comparison": null,
    "applies_here": false,
    "note": null
  }
}