Every young person deserves a safe and stable place to call home!

At Durham Youth Services(DYS), the goal is to partner with youth ages 16 - 24 to achieve and maintain lasting solutions to their housing crisis. This is done in pursuit of our vision to end youth homelessness in Durham Region. 

We are best known for operating Joanne's House, Durham's only youth-focused emergency shelter, which offers over 3,000 nights of safety and over 9,000 healthy meals to youth in need each year. However, believing that achieving the vision of ending youth homelessness can not happen by simply sheltering youth. Today, DYS offers a variety of programs and wrap-around supports in youth homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing, and housing stability. 

At Durham Youth Services there has been a staggering increase in demand for services in recent years. From 2022 - 2023, there was an 88% increase in youth seeking shelter. In the first half of 2024, that number rose another 144%!  Research tells us that 3/5 youth experiencing homelessness are part of the "hidden homeless" population. They are couch-surfing with friends, or living in inadequate conditions, but they are not reaching out for the help that they desperately need. And, every day that they are living with housing insecurity, they are at increased risk of exploitation, abuse/assault, and suicide.

Last year, Durham Youth Services was granted a one-year Youth Opportunities Grant from the Home Depot Canada Foundation that funded my position. This started with the promotion of the services that Durham Youth Service provides then quickly transitioned that allowed us to work inside the school system. This happened for nine months in three schools. In that time, there were 103 referrals of students that the school staff thought may need support. For the majority of the students, the issue was housing-related, and were able to connect them to appropriate supports. For 26 of the students, they were in a housing crisis. But, because we were able to intervene early, we were able to secure safe, stable and affordable housing for 24/26 students... that is a 92% success rate!

That pilot proved that inside schools is exactly where we need to prevent and resolve youth homelessness!  But the funding for that program ended in October 2024. Money raised from the Coldest Night of the Year will go directly to fund sustaining and growing our in school housing support program. 

Please join me in taking meaningful steps (pun intended!) towards ending youth homelessness in Durham! Join my team, walk and fundraise, volunteer or donate. Every dollar counts!

Thank you,

Shannon