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Mayor Shaun Collier remarks

Good morning and thank you for being here today. 

I’d like to recognize my council colleagues, Regional Chair John Henry, as well as members of Town and Regional staff who have joined us. Thank you for being here, and for your partnership and leadership. 

I’d like to begin by offering a land acknowledgement:  

The land on which we gather is situated within the traditional and treaty territory of the Mississaugas. More specifically, the Mississauga’s of Scugog Island First Nation, signatories of the Gunshot Treaty of 1788 and the Williams Treaties of 1923. This land is, and will continue to be, home to the Indigenous Peoples. Let us acknowledge the mistakes and traumas of the past through authenticity and support truth and reconciliation. Let us engage and celebrate Indigenous communities by being leaders of action in acknowledging the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations towards truth and reconciliation. Let us keep these principles close, as we continue towards truth and reconciliation and as we move forward with kindness and respect as a community.​  

Today, I’m pleased to share a significant step forward for Ajax; one that speaks to how we support people, strengthen our downtown, and respond to urgent housing needs with practical action. 

I am using the Strong Mayor tool to help advance an important supportive housing development. 

This proposed development, here at the northeast corner of Harwood Avenue South and Achilles Road in downtown Ajax, will feature a three‑storey building with approximately 50 supportive housing units.  

It’s important to be clear about what we mean by supportive housing. The program proposed by the Region is long‑term, permanent housing paired with wraparound supports, like healthcare connections, life skills training, counselling and case management, tailored to residents’ needs.  

This is not a homeless shelter or transitional housing.  

Supportive housing provides a safe place for independent living for a wide variety of people – yes, some may have previously been unsheltered; but some may also be seniors or adults with physical or cognitive disabilities.  

This community support project is designed to help people stabilize, navigate systems, and build better outcomes. 

This work is being led by the Region of Durham, and it is subject to regional council approval and federal capital funding under Build Canada Homes.  

Regional Council’s support is expected to be ratified on March 25, while here in Ajax, Council will be asked to vote on the zoning by‑law amendment on March 23.  

Support for this project goes beyond the housing and affordability crisis - as urgent as that is. 

Supportive housing is there for the people in our community who are most vulnerable, and who benefit from the stability of a permanent home paired with the right supports. 

That’s why I’m proud that the Strong Mayor tool can be used to help advance the project timeline and keep this work moving, so the Region can put forward the funding applications required to make this vision real.  

Beyond advancing zoning, I have also directed staff to review what financial support we, as a Town, can offer the Region to improve the feasibility of this project. It is my hope that we will commit $500,000 from the Housing Accelerator Fund to this project and I look forward to hearing from staff on the feasibility of this.  

As previously mentioned, on March 23, Ajax Council will be asked to support the zoning changes required to move this forward. Council has already demonstrated a commitment to advancing housing and supporting members of our community most in need and I’m hopeful I can rely on that same commitment again. 

And to our colleagues in the federal government: when the Region’s Build Canada Homes application comes forward, I hope you will find it appropriate to support this project which represents a practical, compassionate, long‑term solution.  

I am grateful to our partners and staff for their work to move this invaluable project forward. 

Thank you. 

Joanne Dies, Regional Councillor for Ward 3 and Durham Region Health and Social Services Committee Vice-Chair remarks

Good morning.

I am Joanne Dies, Regional Councillor for Ward 3, where this exciting project is proposed to be located. But today, I am speaking to you as Vice-Chair of Durham Region’s Health and Social Services Committee. 

Today’s announcement is a cause for celebration here in Ajax and across the Region as we face a dire need for housing.  

The Durham Access to Social Housing Waitlist – also known as DASH – has grown to 13-thousand applicants. About a quarter of those are seniors and many require a fully accessible unit, and some of the housing providers working with the Region have expressed concern that they aren’t equipped to meet the needs of these tenants. 

If the Region is successful in securing the required funding, this proposal would bring 50 supportive housing units to downtown Ajax.  

Supportive Housing is a housing first solution that provides long term housing stability for those who need it most. Residents in supportive housing have their own apartment and are provided with the individual supports that they need to stay permanently housed. All units would be rent-geared-to-income with no fixed time limit on how long a resident may stay in their unit. Service partners would come on site, offering programming and support exclusive to the tenants. 

The building would feature centralized meal, kitchen and laundry spaces, staff meeting space, administration, security and reception areas, and counselling spaces. Project designs would adhere to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles including controlled access, clear sightlines and visibility, and good lighting.  

I echo Mayor Collier’s comments calling on the federal government to support the Region of Durham’s Build Canada Homes application and hope that we will be breaking ground on this crucial project in the very near future. 

Thank you.