Just over one per cent of the 80,000 or so homeless in Ontario this winter are reportedly living in Durham Region, according to statistics released yesterday by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Region of Durham.
Durham has over 811 people who were experiencing homelessness according to the Durham By-Name List report released late November (see below).
The By-Name List has grown from the 786 people experiencing homelessness as of August 2024. The list had 359 individuals as of August 2023, compared to 134 people in 2017.
The rising cost of living and higher regional and local property taxes have not helped.
The number of homeless not on the list is not known.
Acording to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario the number of more than 80,000 homeless Ontarians has grown by more than 25 per cent since 2022.
The homeless population is probably higher than that number. Some live in cars, with friends or family temporarily, and they frequently change location.