According to statistics released by a regional councillor, some 1.8 per cent of applicants received social housing in Durham in 2024.
“At the end of 2024, at the last full survey, more than 10,000 households were on the Durham access to social housing wait list, up from 8,920 a year earlier, according to Durham Region. Only 182 applicants received housing through the program during the 2024 year,” said Councillor Brian Nicholson of Ward 5 Oshawa and Durham Council.
“The numbers have only increased over the last two years. Using the 2023-24 growth figures, the 2026 count should be approaching 12,000,” he added.
Region’s By Name List
The number of people on the region’s by-name home-insecure list had more than doubled in just six months, according to a March report (see below).
In the August of last year, the list had some 811 people on it. By February this year, the list has shot up to 1,707 names. These do not include those who have not registered themselves as home-insecure with the region.
Several official announcements (see below) have been made about promoting affordable housing but a definition of ‘affordable’ has not been forthcoming, and apparently home insecurity in the region is rising much faster than the building efforts.
One reference by the City of Oshawa was provided that the rent would be geared-to-income, but no definite formula about how that would be calculated was mentioned.
Subsidized Housing
Thousands of households are waiting for subsidized housing in Durham Region, where demand continues to outpace available units and deepen housing pressures across the region, prompting renewed calls for greater investment in affordable and public housing, said Nicholson.
“As a councillor who receives calls daily from desperate people of all ages and incomes looking for affordable housing, I agree with those demanding better from of our governments,” he said.
“It is clear that the persistently low vacancy rates, rising rents and a shortage of deeply affordable housing continue to drive demand for subsidized housing,” the councillor pointed out.
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