At Home in Durham

• Beginning in 2018, the Region hosted its first annual National Housing Day event, in partnership with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The event brings together community housing partners with an emphasis on sustaining and strengthening partnerships.
• The Region has joined nine other communities in the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness Built for Zero campaign--a nation-wide effort that helps leading communities end chronic homelessness. Through the collection of real-time data, the Region and its service providers can better address homelessness.
• Regional employees established the Oshawa Unsheltered Residents (OUR) Task Force in 2018 to address the needs and barriers of those living unsheltered in the City of Oshawa.
• In 2018, the Region contributed about $34 million to support the operations of 44 non-profit housing providers, and to provide long-term, rent-geared-to-income (RGI) subsidy for 4,481 households in Durham.
• In 2018, the Region introduced the Durham Portable Housing Benefit, which is paid directly to eligible low-income households to bridge the gap between affordable rent (roughly 30 per cent of income) and average market rent. The benefit is 100 per cent Regionally funded and being piloted to 70 households.
• Since the start of the plan in 2014, the Region has supported the development of 421 new rental units, including 389 affordable units.

At Home in Durham is an extension of our commitment to affordable housing first set out in Growing Together (Durham Region Strategic Plan 2015-2019) and the Regional Official Plan.

The plan aligns the requirements for a housing and homelessness plan under the Housing Services Act, as well as the housing strategy that was required under the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The plan sets out our direction for housing, including:

• An assessment of current and future housing needs.
• Goals related to the identified needs.
• Realistic actions to meet the diverse range of these needs.

In 2019, the Region completed the five-year review of At Home in Durham, renewing its commitment to increasing affordable housing and ending homelessness in our region.

At Home in Durham, the Durham Region Housing Plan 2014-2024 

At Home in Durham (text-only version)

The Affordable and Seniors' Housing Task Force identified several strategies and actions to address the need for more affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income households, and the need for more housing choices for seniors.

The Championing Affordable Rental and Seniors' Housing Across Durham Region report provides a six-point plan of action: 

• Lead by example by ensuring that the Region is strategic, proactive and anticipatory, and is ready to champion affordable rental and seniors' housing.
• Overcome the barriers that are preventing affordable rental and seniors' housing by reducing risks, increasing certainty and offsetting costs.
• Partner and build support for affordable housing through improved education, communication, outreach and awareness, and by supporting partners who are in the business of creating and maintaining affordable rental and/or seniors' housing in Durham Region.
• Showcase best practices and share information to build Durham Region's reputation as an affordable housing and seniors' housing exemplar, fit for imitation by others.
• Advocate responsibly to senior levels of government for affordable and suitable housing that meets the needs of all.
• Monitor progress and report on results to ensure that objectives are being met and that success is being realized through on-the-ground action.

The six-point plan of action sets the stage for 34 recommendations that focus on a full spectrum of solutions, including policy, regulatory, educational, communications, outreach, partnership development, advocacy and reporting efforts.

This report builds on the Durham Region Strategic Plan 2015-2019, Regional Official Plan and At Home in Durham, the Durham Region Housing Plan 2014-2024 to support the creation and maintenance of affordable rental and seniors' housing.

Affordable and Seniors' Housing Task Force six-month progress report (June 2018)

At Home in Durham 

• 2018 Annual Report
• 2017 Annual Report
• 2016 Annual Report
• 2015 Annual Report
• 2015 Annual Report Infographic

Contact Housing Services for a copy of any of these reports: 

• Background Report No. 1 - Housing Policy Context, Trends and Indicators
• Background Report No. 2 - Supply of Housing and Development Activity
• Background Report No. 3 - Housing Affordability
• Background Report No. 4 - Specialized Housing Needs
• Background Report No. 5 - Community Consultations

Additional information

• National Housing Strategy: A Place to Call Home
• Ontario’s Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy