At Home in Durham

At Home in Durham, the Durham Region Housing Plan 2014-2024 Championing Affordable Rental and Seniors’ Housing Across Durham Region

Watch our five-part At Home in Durham video series

At Home in Durham is the Durham Region Housing Plan for 2014 to 2024. The plan lays out the Region's vision for housing and homelessness for the next 10 years.

Four goals of At Home in Durham

Goal 1: End Homelessness in Durham
  

Goal 2: Affordable Rent for Everyone

Goal 3: Greater Housing Choice

Goal 4: Strong and Vibrant Neighbourhoods

The Region works in partnership with area municipalities, private organizations, industry and non-profit agencies to achieve this vision. The Affordable and Seniors’ Housing Task Force report, Championing Affordable Rental and Seniors’ Housing Across Durham Region, further supports the four goals of At Home in Durham.

Highlights of our commitments and progress

• In April 2018, 194 people experiencing homelessness were surveyed through a Point in Time Count and Registry Week initiative. The information collected will be used to target resources to meet the first goal of At Home in Durham: End homelessness in Durham. The full report is available on the Community Development Council Durham (CDCD) website.

• We contribute about $34 million annually in Regional funding to support the operations of 44 non-profit housing providers across the region, and to provide long-term rent-geared-to-income subsidy for 4,481 households in Durham. 

• We implemented a new Durham Rent Supplement program to provide greater flexibility in addressing the needs of applicants on the Durham Access to Social Housing (DASH) wait list. 

• In 2017, we provided rental assistance to an additional 678 households through the Durham Housing Benefit and Housing Allowance, under the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) program.

• We administer several Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) programs, including emergency shelter services, housing outreach and the Housing Stability Program, with increasing focus on assisting vulnerable, low-income tenants in maintaining their housing. 

• We introduced a new Regional Residential Development Charge (DC) service category (Housing Services) to fund the development of new, growth-related social and government assisted affordable housing projects/units. 

• We defer payment of the Regional Development Charge (DC) by social and government-assisted affordable housing projects. 

• Since 2005, we have allocated $59.9 million in federal and provincial funding for the development of 529 new affordable housing units by 2019 in both the private and non-profit sectors. 

• Since 2005, we have invested $26.2 million in federal and provincial funding for rehabilitation improvements to maintain the current social housing stock, and “green” retrofits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs. 

• We have established an Interdisciplinary Tactical Team, with representation from each area municipality, to support the implementation the Affordable and Seniors’ Housing Task Force report. 

• We have arranged municipal partner meetings to consider ways to support and encourage affordable housing, including parking standards, secondary suites, demolition control, intensification opportunities, pre-zoning and inclusionary zoning, and the identification of underutilized properties.