Iran Conflict Pushes Up Construction Costs and Disrupts Housing and Agriculture in Australia AUSTRALIA: The ongoing Iran war is driving significant economic pressure across Australia, particularly in construction and agriculture. Rising global fuel and material costs are increasing home building expenses, worsening the country’s housing shortage and threatening delivery of new housing targets. Builders and economists warn that affordability challenges may intensify if cost in

London Housing Crisis Worsens as 42,000 Planned Homes Are Abandoned UNITED KINGDOM: London’s housing shortage has deepened after developers scrapped or repurposed plans for at least 42,000 homes over the past three years, according to industry analysis. Of these, around 30,000 had already received planning permission, while 12,000 were part of local development plans. Many of these sites are now being converted into warehouses, data centres, self-storage facilities and hotels

Construction Investment Declines in February CANADA: Building construction investment fell by $503.2 million (2.1%) in February compared with January. The overall decline was driven by reduced residential spending, which dropped by $552.3 million to $16.0 billion. However, single-family construction provided some support, increasing by $77.7 million (1.1%) to $7.4 billion, partially offsetting a sharper contraction in multi-family housing investment. Source: Hardlines

Housing Starts Ease in March 2026 Despite Stronger Year-to-Date Growth Trend CANADA: Housing starts in Canada declined by 6% in March 2026 to an annualised rate of 235,852 units, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. However, urban starts rose 10% year-on-year, while year-to-date activity increased 9% compared with 2025, indicating underlying resilience despite monthly volatility in construction activity. Source: Hardlines

India Allocates US$10.8 Billion Under Urban Challenge Fund to Accelerate City Projects INDIA: India has launched a major urban infrastructure push under its Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), with ₹900 billion (US$10.5 billion) of the ₹1 trillion (US$11.7 billion) fund earmarked to partially finance around 60 categories of city projects. These include infrastructure upgrades, old city revitalization, market redevelopment, flood prevention, waste recycling, and multi-level parking. H

Builder Confidence Falls in April 2026 as Costs, Interest Rates and Geopolitical Risks Weigh on Housing Market USA: Builder confidence in the single-family housing market declined sharply in April 2026, with the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index falling four points to 34, its lowest level since September 2025. Current sales conditions dropped to 37, future sales expectations fell to 42, and buyer traffic declined to 22. Sentiment weakened due to high interest rates, risin

South Korea to Launch 62,000 Public Housing Units This Year in Major Supply Push SOUTH KOREA: South Korea’s government plans to begin construction on 62,000 public housing units in the capital region in 2026, more than double the average annual starts over the past five years and the largest supply push since 2020. The move is aimed at offsetting weak private-sector construction caused by high interest rates and rising costs, while easing concerns over a potential housing sup

Construction and Design Sector Shows Cautious Optimism for Q2 2026 Amid Cost Pressures and Mixed Activity Trends USA: In the United States, the Q2 2026 Houzz Pro Industry Barometer shows cautious optimism after a weak first quarter. The Expected Business Activity Indicator for construction rose to 58 from 55, driven by new committed projects increasing to 59. Design-build firms showed stronger confidence at 66, while build-only remodelers fell to 50. However, recent activity

Construction Input Costs Rise Sharply in March Amid Oil Price Volatility USA: Construction input prices increased significantly in March, rising 2.2% month-on-month and 4.8% compared to a year earlier the fastest annual growth since January 2023. Non-residential input costs climbed slightly higher, up 2.3% monthly and 5.4% annually. The surge was largely driven by a sharp 20.2% increase in crude petroleum prices, linked to geopolitical tensions involving Iran. While natural g

Construction Confidence Strengthens as Backlog and Hiring Expectations Improve USA: Construction confidence improved in March, with backlog rising by 0.5 months to 8.6 months, recovering from earlier lows and reaching levels last seen in summer 2025. Data centre-related projects reported notably higher backlog levels than other sectors. Expectations for profit margins and staffing reached their highest points since early 2022, signalling strong industry optimism. Although sal

Kenya Urges African Nations to Adopt Affordable Housing Model Kenya: Kithure Kindiki has called on African countries to adopt Kenya’s affordable housing model to address urban housing challenges. He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the Second Africa Urban Forum held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. The housing programme, introduced under the administration of William Ruto, includes more than 200 construction sites and has contributed to employment g

Australia Reports Rise in Housing Construction Amid Policy Debate Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics released building activity data for the December quarter of 2025, reporting that the number of homes commencing construction during the year increased by 16.4 per cent compared to 2024. This included a 5.6 per cent rise in detached house commencements and a 35.3 per cent increase in multi-unit developments. The data indicates a recovery in housing construction, support

Financing Secured for Affordable Housing Project in San Francisco USA: Mission Housing Development Corporation, in partnership with Mission Economic Development Agency, has secured a financing package of USD 77.9 million for the first phase of an affordable housing development in the Mission District of San Francisco. The funding structure includes Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and construction financing provided by Western Alliance Bank. The project, known as The Marvel in

Delhi Expands Transit-Oriented Development Policy to Support Housing Supply India: The Government has expanded the Transit-Oriented Development framework under the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 through the introduction of the Regulations for Transit Oriented Development and Charges, 2026. The policy aims to promote development linked to public transport infrastructure and increase the availability of housing in the National Capital Territory. It focuses on planned urban growth by

Building Permits Decline in February 2026 as Non-Residential Sector Weakens Despite Residential Uptick CANADA: The total value of building permits fell by 8.4% in February 2026 to $12.1 billion, mainly due to a sharp decline in non-residential construction. However, residential construction intentions increased slightly to $8.1 billion, supported by growth in multi-family housing, which offset a drop in single-family permits. Overall, the data indicates mixed trends in the co

Maharashtra Approves Land Acquisition for Affordable Housing in Borivali India: The Government of Maharashtra, led by Devendra Fadnavis, has approved the acquisition of land from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited in Borivali to support housing development. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Maharashtra Housing Development Authority held at Sahyadri Guest House. The land parcels, covering 28.84 acres in Gorai and Shimpoli, are plann

Richelieu Hardware Posts Higher Sales and Earnings in Q1 2026 Driven by Steady Domestic Growth CANADA: In Canada, Richelieu Hardware reported Q1 2026 sales of $463.6 million, up 5% year-on-year, while domestic sales reached $249.8 million, reflecting a 3.4% increase. Net earnings also rose 2.7% to $15.1 million. The results indicate steady performance supported by moderate growth in the Canadian market despite broader economic pressures. Source: Hardlines

Dodge Momentum Index Rises in March as Data Centre Projects Drive Growth USA: The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) increased by 1.8% in March to 250.5, indicating continued strength in non-residential construction planning. Growth was driven primarily by a 7.0% rise in commercial planning, largely supported by data centre projects, while institutional planning declined by 8.8%. Most sectors showed weakness, reflecting both a correction after strong late-2025 activity and growing ma

Construction Employment Rises in March Despite Cost and Economic Pressure USA: Construction employment in the United States increased by 26,000 jobs in March 2026, indicating a monthly rebound despite ongoing economic challenges such as higher fuel prices and borrowing costs. Non-residential construction led the growth, adding 12,200 jobs, including gains in non-residential building (4,500), specialty trades (3,900), and heavy and civil engineering (3,800). Overall industry e

MahaRERA Approves Over 1,000 Projects Around Gudhi Padwa India: The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) approved a total of 1,060 real estate projects around the Gudhi Padwa period through a combination of new registrations, timeline extensions and corrections to existing projects. Of these, 486 projects received new registration numbers, while 426 projects were granted extensions to their completion timelines and 148 projects were allowed corrections. A t