In light of Canada’s significant housing supply shortage, dramatically increasing the country’s pace of construction and housing starts are critical steps to restoring affordability. In 2023, housing starts decreased slightly from previous record-highs to 240,267 starts, while roughly 650,000 workers were building homes in Canada, the most ever seen.
In the article, What is Canada’s potential capacity for housing construction? CMHC’s Senior Vice President of Housing Economics and Insights, Mathieu Laberge, argues that with the current resources dedicated to home-building, Canada should have the potential to build between 130,000 and 225,000 more homes each year. Reaching this potential, Laberge says, will require all sectors to continue making significant short and long-term structural changes.
Read the full story on CMHC’s Housing Observer: