From a building permit to a place to call home

A permit is an important step in the development process, but it is not a completed home. Statistics Canada’s Building Permits survey measures construction intentions, including the number and value of authorized residential units.

That distinction matters when housing announcements become headlines. A proposal, an approval, a construction start and a completion describe different stages. Adding them together would count some projects more than once.

Clear reporting identifies the stage, geography and reference period behind every figure. It also checks whether the reported total is gross additions or accounts for demolitions. Readers then have a better basis for judging how an announcement relates to the homes actually becoming available in their community.

This article was prepared with AI assistance from the primary sources linked above. REAL Newsroom is our institutional byline. Historical data is identified by its reference period. Read our editorial standards.