Serving Durham Region since 1970

Building Stronger Communities.

For 56 years, Community Development Council Durham has worked alongside individuals, families and communities to create opportunities, strengthen well-being and build a more inclusive Durham Region.

CDCD’s commitment

Our Commitment to Belonging

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in their community and to access services, resources and opportunities with dignity and respect.

Explore Our Commitments

Our impact

CDCD’s impact in 2025.

One organization. Five areas of work. Thousands of connections, services and opportunities helping people and communities across Durham Region.

26,072 Clients served across Durham Region 2025 Annual Report

Housing & Homelessness

4,630 Total housing clients served

Supporting individuals and families to find, secure and sustain safe, stable housing.

Explore Housing & Homelessness

Newcomer Community Services

2,765 Unique clients served through SWIS

Helping newcomers, students, youth and families build connections, confidence and belonging.

Explore Newcomer Community Services

Welcome Centre & Immigrant Services

35,108 Ajax Welcome Centre service engagements
5,460 Oshawa/Clarington Welcome Centre service engagements

Bringing settlement and community services together in welcoming, accessible one-stop hubs.

Explore Welcome Centre Services

Humanitarian Programs

811+ Individuals served through DHRP
101 New clients welcomed through RAP

Providing temporary accommodation, resettlement support and pathways toward stability and independence.

Explore Humanitarian Programs

Community Development

187 Participants at DNN’s Regional Connects event

Strengthening community voice, collaboration, research and the capacity of organizations across Durham Region.

Explore Community Development
1,832 Clients served through the Donations Program

Additional community impact made possible through donors, volunteers, grassroots and community partners.

French settlement services

French Settlement Services

Pour des services d’établissement en français et/ou la formation linguistique en français, veuillez contacter: COFRD – Conseil des Organisme Francophones de la Région de Durham.

If you wish to access French language training and/or French settlement services, please contact: COFRD – Conseil des Organisme Francophones de la Région de Durham.

Learn More

Who we are

56 years in Durham Region.

We partner, collaborate and advocate to identify and address community needs through research, informing policy and delivering programs and services that enhance and promote well-being.

Learn about CDCD
A facilitator presenting a board covered in coloured sticky notes to a room of seated residents

Research & community

We don’t only serve the community. We study it.

CDCD is Durham Region’s local Social Planning Council and a member of the Social Planning Network of Ontario. We run community-based research on poverty, housing, immigration and the non-profit sector, then publish it so decision-makers can’t say they didn’t know.

The research feeds straight back into the services we provide.

Read our research

How we work

How we create change.

Everything CDCD does moves through three connected stages: support the person in front of us, strengthen the community around them, and drive the policy change that fixes the root cause.

Support people

Direct support for people navigating housing, settlement and basic needs. This indeed is the everyday work of getting someone through a hard month or a hard year.

  • Housing Outreach & Housing First
  • Opening Doors in Durham
  • LEAP energy assistance
  • Donations & furniture bank
  • Free tax clinics
  • Welcome Centres
  • Settlement Workers in Schools
Get help

Strengthen communities

Community development work that builds capacity from the inside with networks, partnerships and organisations working better together.

  • North Durham Social Development Council
  • Durham Non-Profit Network
  • Durham Living Wage Network
  • Leadership Durham
  • Incubation & trusteeship
  • Community Connections group activities
Explore this work

Drive change

As Durham Region’s local Social Planning Council, we research the conditions people actually live in, then publish it so decision-makers can’t say they didn’t know.

  • Research & social planning
  • Social Planning Network of Ontario
  • Point-in-Time Count
  • Community Lens
  • Policy advocacy with government partners
Read our research

Our Funders

Supported by our funding partners.

CDCD gratefully acknowledges the governments, agencies and organizations whose funding helps us deliver programs, services and community initiatives across Durham Region.

Funding relationships may relate to specific programs, initiatives or reporting periods.

There is a place for you at CDCD.

What’s happening

News & Events at CDCD.

Stay connected with upcoming events, community activities, organizational news and highlights from across CDCD.

View All News & Events
CDCD 2026 Annual General Meeting invitation Featured Event CDCD Annual General Meeting September 23, 2026 Visit News & Events for event information, agency updates, our calendar and recent community highlights. Explore News & Events