The mission of Durham Youth Services (DYS) is to partner with youth to achieve and maintain lasting solutions to their housing crisis. We achieve this through our prevention, outreach, emergency shelter and transitional housing programs.

Since 2008, DYS has operated Joanne’s House the only Durham Region emergency shelter focusing specifically on homeless youth aged 16 to 24.

As a housing-focused organization, we use an integrated homelessness prevention approach that includes Shelter Diversion, Family Reconnect and Youth Reconnect programs. Early intervention and wrap-around supports help the youth stabilize their situation, improve the youth’s current well-being and decrease their risk of homelessness.

Youth ready for independent living benefit from our transitional housing programs such as Housing Support and Housing First for Youth which help youth gain the abilities, skills and confidence to live independently.

Wellbeing supports are woven throughout our programs to nurture a youth’s resiliency and help protect their self-identify regarding their experience with homelessness or housing insecurity.  We want each youth to understand that homelessness may be one of their life experiences, but it does not need to be a life sentence that defines who they are. 

We thank you kindly for your support and generosity. Your help is instrumental in ending youth homelessness in Durham Region.