Winnipeg is well ahead of the national housing trend to start 2026.
New Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) data shows 1,216 housing starts in Winnipeg from January through March, up 24.3% from 978 during the same period last year. Nationally, housing starts were up just 8.6% in the first quarter of 2026.
"We’ve made it a priority to cut red tape and speed up approvals, and these numbers show our plan is working,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “We are making it easier for builders to get shovels in the ground, and that means more homes for Winnipeg families, more quickly."
The increase was driven in part by a major jump in missing middle housing, like townhomes. Winnipeg recorded 215 starts in CMHC’s “row housing” category in the first quarter, an increase of 271%. This is the second-highest quarterly total for this type of housing in Winnipeg’s history.
Apartment construction also remained strong, with 709 starts, up 16% compared to last year.
The latest figures build on a strong 2025, when Winnipeg recorded 4,993 housing starts, the second-highest annual total in the city’s history. The four-year period from 2022 to 2025 saw the most housing starts ever in Winnipeg according to CMHC.
“These numbers are encouraging because they show more homes are actually getting built,” said Councillor Evan Duncan, Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development. “That’s good news for Winnipeg and it’s exactly the kind of momentum we want to keep building on.”