Durham has over 811 people who are currently experiencing homelessness according to the Durham By-Name List.
In honour of National Housing Day on November 22, the Region of Durham brought together community and affordable housing providers, developers, landlords and support agencies to discuss housing challenges and potential solutions. Yesterday’s networking event also marked the progress made in addressing barriers to housing.
In response to this critical need, the Region of Durham said it is actively working on several fronts:
- Supporting Affordable Housing: Recognizing the critical role of affordable rental housing, the region supports over 7,000 households through various programs. Additionally, redevelopment projects like those at Durham Regional Local Housing Corporation properties and the exploration of housing opportunities at the former Ritson School site aim to increase available units.
- Incentivizing Development: The At Home Incentive Program provides funding to public and private partners for creating affordable housing. The program’s recent success saw $17.7 million allocated to create 209 units across Durham. A new funding call is open until December 11th.
- Addressing Barriers: The Region acknowledges the complex causes of homelessness and has adopted a “housing-focused approach” that prioritizes supporting people into stable housing. This includes emergency shelters, transitional housing with support services like Beaverton Heights and Oshawa Micro-homes, and street outreach teams that connect with unsheltered residents.
- Winter Preparations: With winter approaching, the Region’s Winter Warming Plan provides a lifeline for those without shelter. Warming centers will be open from December 1st to March 31st, and shelters will adjust capacity based on cold weather alerts.
- Transitional housing: The Region also offers transitional housing with supports at Beaverton Heights and the Oshawa Micro-homes. Transitional housing is time-limited accommodation with supports for developing life skills and requires participants to work toward their goals and overcome barriers to housing. There are limits on how long a person can stay, as the purpose is to help someone successfully transition into permanent housing.
“National Housing Day highlights the work being done across Canada to improve access to safe, affordable housing,” stated John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO. “Finding a place to call home is especially challenging right now, and the Region of Durham is committed to increasing the supply of affordable rental housing to address this urgent need.”
Durham’s Street Outreach Teams are diligently working to ensure unsheltered residents have access to supports and services, including access to emergency shelters.
For homelessness support, contact HomelessHelp@Durham.ca or call 311 extension 5510; 905-668-4113 extension 5510, or toll free at 1-800-372-1102 extension 5510.
You May Also Wish To Read
19-year old loses control, ejected and seriously hurt in rollover
Driver who had to be extracted after crashing into tree, charged
One charged in shooting that left man with life-altering injuries
These cars were in a road rage incident that led to shooting