Housing Support for Greater Stability
CDCD’s Housing Department supports individuals and households experiencing homelessness, who are under-housed, or who may be at risk of losing their housing. Through housing programs, outreach, landlord engagement, housing retention and related financial supports, we work with clients and community partners to strengthen housing stability.
Need Help Finding or Keeping Housing?
CDCD provides housing supports for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of losing their housing, or need help navigating housing-related challenges.
Depending on your circumstances and program eligibility, available supports include housing search and navigation, outreach, housing retention, landlord engagement, eviction-prevention support, referrals and connections to financial or community resources.
You May Be Looking For Help With
- Finding or maintaining stable housing
- Housing outreach and support
- Housing First
- ID replacement
- Preventing housing loss or addressing tenancy challenges
- Landlord engagement and housing retention through Opening Doors Durham
- Electricity-bill support through LEAP or OESP, where eligible
- Income tax clinic support
Housing Outreach
The Housing Outreach Program works with households who are homeless, under-housed or at risk of losing their housing, helping clients find or maintain housing and connect with appropriate community supports.
Support Includes
- Meeting clients within their community
- Housing navigation and housing-search support
- Advocacy and mediation with landlords where appropriate
- Support during financial or housing crises
- Referrals to community resources and income supports
- Information about tenant rights and responsibilities
- Basic budgeting support
- Support with HSP applications
- Assistance obtaining identification
- OESP application support
- Follow-up support as needed
- Connections with landlords, support workers and community agencies
Service Area
CDCD Housing Outreach currently supports Ajax and Pickering, with other providers serving other areas of Durham Region.
Opening Doors in Durham Region
Opening Doors in Durham Region is designed to strengthen relationships between clients, landlords and housing providers and to support long-term, successful tenancies.
The program brings together two complementary areas of work: Landlord Engagement & Support, which focuses on creating and strengthening housing opportunities, and Housing Retention, which works directly with clients to help them remain successfully housed.
Two Pathways. One Housing-Stability Goal.
Landlord Engagement & Support
Works with landlords and housing providers to develop housing opportunities, strengthen communication, support positive landlord-tenant relationships and help create conditions for successful tenancies.
Housing Retention
Works directly with clients to help them maintain their housing, address challenges that may threaten their tenancy and connect with supports that strengthen long-term housing stability.
Housing First
Housing First is a recovery-oriented approach that supports people experiencing chronic homelessness to move rapidly into permanent housing without preconditions such as sobriety or treatment compliance. It recognizes housing as a basic human right and provides individualized supports focused on stability, recovery and community integration.
Core Principles
Immediate Housing Access
People can access permanent housing without sobriety requirements, treatment compliance or housing-readiness tests.
Client Choice
Clients have a voice in their housing and exercise choice and self-determination.
Recovery & Harm Reduction
Voluntary supports focus on individual needs, recovery, well-being and life stability.
Community Integration
The approach supports people to live and participate within regular community settings.
Financial & Basic Needs Supports
These services are delivered through the Housing Department but address financial stability and basic-needs challenges.
Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
LEAP is designed for eligible low-income individuals and families who are having difficulty paying their electricity bills and may provide access to one-time emergency financial assistance through an application process.
Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP)
OESP helps eligible low-income households reduce electricity costs through a monthly on-bill credit. We provide application support within the program’s applicable service area.
All Year-Round Tax Clinic
The housing department provides tax-filing support to eligible individuals and households throughout the year.
Not Sure Which Housing Support You Need?
Start with CDCD. Tell us what kind of support you are looking for and we will help direct your request to the appropriate program or service.
Request Support