OTTAWA, Ontario -- Housing starts in Canada reached 245,657 units in June, up 26 percent from 196,809 units in May, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

The spike in seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of housing starts for all of Canada was led a 31 percent increase of multi-dwelling urban home starts to 185,804. Meanwhile, single-detached urban starts increased 8 percent to 48,434 units, CMHC reported.

“The national trend in housing starts increased in June, primarily due to higher trending row and apartment starts, in urban areas," said Bob Dugan, CMHC's chief economist. “The strong surge in the SAAR of apartment starts in April is also contributing to the high level of the trend measure of total housing starts in June.”

Among the monthly report's highlights:

• Edmonton's housing starts, while still down from a year ago due to a high level of unsold inventory, trended higher in June.
   
• Halifax's total housing starts continued to gain momentum in June, expanding by 45% year-over-year. The apartment segment remains the dominate driver of residential construction as strong population growth, especially apparent in the young adult population, and historically low vacancy rates support demand. The number of apartment units that broke ground this month reached the highest peak since 2015, as multi-unit starts year-to-date climbed by 62% compared to the same period last year.
   
• The Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo area's total housing starts trended up in June with apartment starts continuing to dominate.

• ​Toronto's total housing starts trend in the Toronto remained virtually unchanged in June from the previous month with row and semi-detached home starts trending slightly lower, while apartment and single-detached homes trending slightly higher.  According to the CMHC, multi-unit home starts continue to dominate construction so far this year as more homebuyers choose lower-priced condominium apartments and row houses over higher priced single-detached homes.

• Vancouver's year-to-date housing starts increased by about 25% supported by population growth and continuous strengthening of economic fundamentals.

• Winnipeg's housing starts trended 15% higher for the first half of 2019, compared to the same period last year. Construction of apartments were up 89% in the first six months of 2019 vs. the first six months of 2018.