Homelessness and Mental Health in Durham Region (A conversation with Marla Walters from CFOC & Doors of Compassion)
Homelessness is not just a “big city” issue anymore. It is here in Durham Region too. It is in Ajax. It is in Oshawa. It is in Pickering. It is growing and it is more visible than ever.
In this episode of the Khurram Qureshi Podcast, Khurram Qureshi sat down with Marla Walters, Executive Director at CFOC Doors of Compassion, to talk about what is really happening on the ground.
Who is Marla Walters and what is Doors of Compassion?
Marla Walters grew up across the Durham Region. She has lived in Ajax, Oshawa, Bowmanville and now lives in Pickering. She also spent 10 years in Toronto, so she has seen different community needs and different systems.
Doors of Compassion is connected to Christian Faith Outreach Centre (CFOC) in Ajax. CFOC has been in Ajax for decades. The church moved into its current plaza location around 2012.
After moving into the plaza, the team noticed something that was hard to ignore. People who were living unsheltered started coming into their offices asking for help. Food support. Basic needs. A safe place. At first, the church tried to help as much as it could, but it quickly became clear this was bigger than one small community effort.
That experience helped spark a broader community response, including the Ajax Homelessness Task Force, which officially started in 2018.
Filming a candid conversation on homelessness and mental health in Durham Region with Marla Walters from CFOC Doors of Compassion
Homelessness is not “one problem” and it is not only in Ajax
One important point Marla made is this: homelessness is not only local. It is national and global. Many different pressures push people into crisis.
She also explained something many people do not realize.
When people lose housing, the longer they stay unhoused, the harder it becomes to break the cycle. Trauma grows. Safety decreases. Trust breaks down. People get more “stuck” in survival mode.
That is why prevention matters, not only emergency response.
The three major reasons people become homeless
From both research and what they see in the field, Marla highlighted three major causes:
- Family breakdown
- Financial insecurity
- Mental health and addictions
These reasons often overlap. One problem can trigger another. When life gets unstable, people can fall fast.
“We can’t only pull people out of the river”
One of the strongest lines from Marla was this idea:
Emergency shelter is important, but it is not enough. You cannot only focus on the “downstream” solution. You also have to ask why people are falling into the river in the first place.
That means the work is not just “beds and meals.” It is also long term support, stability and prevention.
She also pointed out something that many community members feel but do not always say out loud. Funding and support often shift with politics. Priorities change. Long term vision becomes hard when systems are built around short cycles.
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A real success story (and what “success” actually means)
Marla shared a story that the person had already shared publicly, so she felt comfortable explaining parts of it.
A man in Durham Region experienced a major family breakdown. He had a family, children and then lost housing due to alcoholism. He entered shelter and struggled at first. He had anger issues. He left and returned multiple times before stabilizing.
The key was time, trust and support.
Doors of Compassion provides life skills programming and works with partners across the community. Over time, that individual began to feel something that many people in crisis lose.
Hope. With hope, he started taking ownership of his situation. He stabilized. He moved out. He restarted his business. He became self employed again in construction. He even returned to help the shelter and hired people from the shelter.
That is a real win.
Marla also reminded listeners that “success” looks different for every person. For one person, success is simply stabilizing in shelter. For another person, success is holding housing, holding a job and rebuilding relationships.
Behind the scenes of a powerful conversation with Marla Walters from CFOC Doors of Compassion, exploring the realities of homelessness and mental health in Durham Region.
Mental health in public looks different than mental health in private
Another powerful part of the discussion was about how we judge what we see.
Marla explained that many people living with mental health or addiction issues are actually housed. They are around us every day. In malls. At events. In workplaces. We just do not always notice.
But when someone is unhoused, their crisis becomes visible. They do not have a private place to break down. They do not have a safe place to calm down. So their most vulnerable moments become public.
That visibility often creates fear, even when the reality is more complex.
She also highlighted something important: most of the people they serve in shelters are doing their best. Many have jobs. Many are working toward housing. The public focus often falls on a small number of very visible crisis moments and then those moments get repeated and shared again and again.
Where do people go when they feel like they have nowhere to go?
The podcast touched on a serious and sensitive reality: sometimes people only get help when they reach the highest level of crisis.
Marla’s point was clear. The system is hard to navigate. If a person cannot advocate for themselves, they can get lost inside the system. That is not always because people “don’t care.” It is often because the system is built in a way that needs strong advocacy to move through it.
Her message was simple:
- Speak clearly about how serious the situation is.
- Do not downplay it.
- Ask for help directly.
- Walk alongside people when you can, but also know your limit.
It is okay to care and also admit, “This is beyond my training.”
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What Doors of Compassion actually does (more than most people realize)
Many people think homelessness support is only “a shelter.” That is not what they do.
Marla explained their continuum of care, which includes:
The Ajax Hub (a one stop community support space)
The Hub is a low barrier resource space where people can access basic needs and connect with services. It is open 7 days a week and has expanded hours. People can come in for meals, showers and support connections.
Importantly, the Hub also supports people who are housed but struggling. Some people cannot afford food. Some people need support services. Not everyone walking in is unsheltered.
Shelter spaces
Doors of Compassion opened shelter beds in 2020 and expanded significantly. They now support a large number of beds across Durham Region.
Case planning and support
They have staff who act as case managers (patron relations advocates). They work with each person to create a plan with goals like:
- ID and paperwork
- income stability
- health support
- appointments
- housing pathways
Housing retention support
After someone is housed, they continue supporting them with check-ins and wraparound help so the person does not fall back into crisis.
This is the part many people miss. Getting housing is not the finish line. Staying housed is the real challenge.
Setting the stage for a heartfelt dialogue with Marla Walters from CFOC Doors of Compassion about homelessness, mental health and hope in Durham Region
A key reality: it is adult support and consent matters
One honest truth Marla shared is that supporting adults is different than supporting children.
Adults have autonomy. You cannot force change on them. That means the work often starts with something slow and difficult.
Trust. For some people, it takes months. For some years. There can be moments of clarity, then setbacks, then progress again. The goal is to be ready when that “yes” moment happens and to have real support available right then.
Safe consumption sites and Durham Region
Marla clarified that there is no safe consumption site in Durham Region.
Doors of Compassion is a low barrier service, meaning they support people from many different situations, including active addictions. But they do not encourage use onsite. Their goal is support, safety and long term change through trust, connection and care.
What a thriving community looks like
To end the conversation, I asked Marla what a thriving community looks like in her opinion.
Her answer was meaningful and simple:
A thriving community is one where everyone matters. From the most impoverished person to the wealthiest person. Where people can show up as they are, be seen and feel included.
When understanding grows, fear reduces. When fear reduces, communities get stronger.
Watch Full Podcast of Marla Walters here:
How you can get involved in Doors of Compassion
If you want to help, there are real ways to do it:
- Volunteer (18+) through their website by filling out a volunteer form
- Donate (monetary or in kind)
- Support fundraisers and community efforts
- Learn more and talk about it to reduce stigma and spread awareness
Marla emphasized something important. It is not only about money. It is also about people showing up with time, skills, resources and partnership
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How to reach Doors of Compassion and the Ajax Hub
Marla shared these contact options during the podcast:
- Ajax Hub phone: 905-619-1918
- Email: info@cfoc.ca
- Website: cfoc.ca
- Doors of Compassion website: doorsofcompassion.ca
Final thoughts
This conversation made one thing clear.
Homelessness and mental health are not “someone else’s problem.” They are community problems. That means the solution also has to be a community effort. Not just emergency response. Real planning. Real housing. Real support systems.
If you are a business owner, a community leader, a professional, or simply a resident who cares, the best first step is awareness. The second step is action.
And action can start small.
One conversation. One volunteer shift. One partnership. One resource shared at the right time.
Credits of the Podcast
Host: Khurram Qureshi
Guest: Marla Walters
Camera: Mukarram
Editing: Mubeen
Finalize Editing: Shazil
Podcast Room sponsored by:
Call: 905-668-9608
Website: theworkhub.ca
Email: hello@theworkhub.ca
We are grateful for The Work Hub sponsoring the Podcast room.
Please visit their website for more details on private office, boardrooms and event space rental.
Written By: Khurram Qureshi
Founder & consultant of DigiPix Inc.
Call or text: 416-900-5825
Email: info@digipixinc.com
About The Author
In 2006, Khurram Qureshi started DigiPix Inc. which started off as a design agency offering video editing to professional photography, video production & post production, website designs and 3D Animations and has now expanded towards online marketing and business consultancy. Khurram Qureshi also is a motivational figure and participates in local and international platforms. He also play a role in the local community development, helping local young minds get ready to enter the job market.