Ottawa, ON – Scott Aitchison, Conservative Shadow Minister for Housing, released the following statement on the latest housing start numbers from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation:

“Prime Minister Mark Carney promised the most ambitious housing plan since the Second World War and said his government would build at a speed and scale not seen in generations. Today, his own housing agency’s numbers show that promise was an illusion. The CMHC confirmed housing starts were down 11 per cent in September compared with last year, while starts through the first nine months of 2026 are down 4 per cent from 2025.

“The numbers tell the story: 19,984 homes were started this September, down from 22,375 last September. So far this year, only 170,964 homes have been started, compared with 178,033 at this point last year. This is nowhere near the almost 500,000 homes a year Prime Minister Carney promised.

“The decline is being felt across the country. Through September, housing starts are down 5 per cent in Ontario, 13 per cent in Alberta and 2 per cent in British Columbia compared with the same period last year.

“Even CMHC’s Deputy Chief Economist warns that ‘a key risk for Canada now is not building enough.’ CMHC also says construction is expected to slow faster than demand, leaving Canada well short of the 417,000 to 469,000 homes needed each year to restore pre-pandemic affordability.

“Instead of making it cheaper and easier to build, Prime Minister Carney is spending billions on more bureaucracy and rewarding the same gatekeepers who helped drive housing costs higher in the first place. 

“Canadians do not need more empty Liberal promises. They need homes they can actually afford. But after a year and a half of more spending, more bureaucracy and more promises, fewer homes are getting started and homeownership remains out of reach.

“Conservatives will eliminate the GST on all new homes under $1.3 million, cut development charges in half and clear away needless red tape to make homebuilding cheaper and faster.

“Hard-working Canadians should not have to give up on homeownership because of empty Liberal promises. Conservatives will restore the promise that if you work hard and save, you can afford a place of your own.”