Region of Durham recognizes World Homeless Day on October 10

Whitby, Ontario –In honour of World Homeless Day on October 10, which raises awareness of homelessness and encourages communities to respond to the needs of vulnerable residents, The Regional Municipality of Durham reaffirms its commitment to ending chronic homelessness in Durham Region.

The Region is part of a nation-wide effort called the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness - Built for Zero Canada program, which helps communities end chronic homelessness. Through the collection of real-time data, the Region and its service partners can better address homelessness in Durham.

Teams across Durham Region are working to ensure residents experiencing homelessness have access to the supports and services they need. Shelter, hub and street outreach teams meet with residents across Durham Region to obtain their consent to receive supports and services. Residents who provide consent are then added to a By-Name List, which is a list of people experiencing homelessness, and are then connected with wraparound supports to help end their homelessness.

In 2021, 219 people on the By-Name List were matched with housing opportunities to end their homelessness. As of August 2022, an additional 125 people have been matched with housing opportunities to end their homelessness.

Durham Region is a housing-focused community, which means all supports, services and strategies lead to housing, as opposed to managing the symptoms of homelessness. This includes shelter programs, which meet basic needs while being part of a process to help someone safely exit the shelter and move into housing.

Every person deserves a place to call home; it is a basic human right.

Learn more about homelessness in Durham Region at durham.ca/AboutHomelessness.

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“On World Homeless Day, I reaffirm our commitment to ending chronic homelessness in Durham Region. Our supports, services and strategies are all part of a process that leads to housing, helping people to end their homelessness. The Region continues to develop long-term innovative approaches to improve access to–and retention of–housing, as is outlined in our At Home in Durham plan. Because everyone deserves a place to call home.” 

- John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO, Region of Durham

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