{
  "id": "411404",
  "title": "Housing Starts for February 2026",
  "country": "CA",
  "indicator": "Housing Starts",
  "source": "Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)",
  "source_url": "https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/media-newsroom/news-releases/2026/housing-starts-february-2026",
  "category": "hse",
  "period": "Feb",
  "reference_date": "2026-02-28",
  "release_date": "2026-03-16",
  "document_type": "html",
  "date_retrieved": "2026-03-16",
  "actual": {
    "value": 250.9,
    "raw": 250900,
    "unit": "thousands",
    "description": "Total monthly SAAR"
  },
  "previous": {
    "value": 240.1,
    "raw": 240148,
    "unit": "thousands",
    "description": "January 2026"
  },
  "forecast": {
    "value": 252.5,
    "raw": 252500,
    "unit": "thousands"
  },
  "trend_value": 256005,
  "trend_change_pct": 0.4,
  "yoy_change_pct": 10,
  "yoy_units": 15886,
  "yty_units": 31974,
  "ytd_change_pct": 5,
  "currency": "CAD",
  "scale": "K",
  "parent_publication": "Housing Starts Survey",
  "indicators_covered": [
    "Housing Starts - SAAR",
    "Housing Starts - Trend",
    "Year-over-Year Growth",
    "Provincial Data"
  ],
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  "extraction_notes": {
    "full_body_length": 5728,
    "tables_extracted": 8,
    "sections": ["Key Findings", "Expert Commentary", "Methodology", "Data Tables", "Summary Statistics"],
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  "deputy_chief_economist": "Kevin Hughes",
  "key_quote": "In February, the six-month trend in housing starts was essentially flat, indicating that the trend in new construction activity remains relatively steady despite ongoing monthly volatility.",
  "languages": {
    "primary": "English",
    "alternate": "French (fr: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/salle-de-presse/news-releases/2026/mises-chantier-habitations-fevrier-2026)"
  }
}