Unsheltered and Homelessness

 To report an immediate safety concern, call 9-1-1

• For questions related to homeless support in the Region, contact the Region of Durham:
  Email: Homelesshelp@Durham.ca
  Phone: 905-666-6239 or 1 888-721-0622 extension 5510 or 
  Dial 311 – press 4 for Homelessness and Housing

If it is not urgent, contact:

• The Durham Mental Health Services’ Crisis Access and Linkage Line is available at 905-666-0483 or 1-800-742-1890, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
• The Primary Care Outreach Program (P.C.O.P.) is available at 289-979-9428, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To provide feedback to the Region:

Provide feedback online regarding general concerns.

Visit the Region of Durham's Opioids and overdose prevention webpage to learn about opioids and how to prevent an overdose.

Found a needle?

To report a discarded needle or sharp found in a City park, please contact Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311.

Needles found on private property are the responsibility of the property owner or landlord. Learn about safe needle handling and disposal guidelines on the Region of Durham's website.

Find information about food support programs, including community meals and food banks, on 211 Durham or call or text 2-1-1.

The Region of Durham provides Housing Programs, including Eviction Prevention and Housing Outreach Workers. Learn more on the Durham Region's Housing Supports webpage or contact the Region:

Email: Homelesshelp@Durham.ca
Phone: 905-666-6239 or 1-888-721-0622 extension 5510
Dial 311 – press 4 for Homelessness and Housing

Visit the Region of Durham’s website for additional information on low income supports available across the Region.

For help with homelessness support:

Email: Homelesshelp@Durham.ca 
Phone: 905-666-6239 or 1 888-721-0622 extension 5510 or 
Dial 311 – press 4 for Homelessness and Housing
Webpage: Housing-Focused Shelter Locations

Emergency shelter locations include the newest shelter, 1635 Dundas, which operates 24/7, provides wrap-around supports and is pet-friendly. View the Region of Durham's Housing-Focused Shelter Locations or visit the Emergency Shelters for Victims of Violence webpages for more information on 1635 Dundas and other emergency shelter locations in Oshawa.

If you see or know someone in need of immediate emergency shelter, email Homelesshelp@Durham.ca or call 905-666-6239 or 311

Additional resources are available on the Durham Region Social Services Department webpage for vulnerable individuals, including those concerned about income, shelter, food security, mental health or transportation.

Cooling centres

Cooling centres provide a safe place for people to cool down when it is hot outside. View the Region of Durham's list of Cooling Centres

Warming centres

The Region of Durham has a Winter Warming Plan. From December 1 to March 31, there are shelters and warming locations open across Durham Region. Transportation support is available through the Durham Region Outreach Team for residents who need help accessing a shelter or warming location. For more information, visit durham.ca/WinterWarming

211 is free, confidential, and available 24/7 (including holidays) in 200+ languages, providing information and referrals to Ontario's community, social, health-related, and government services. The line is answered by certified Service Navigators who will help you with your search.

The 211 Victim Support Directory connects people in Ontario to crisis support, helplines, shelters, and other services. 

211 can be accessed by:

• Phone
  • Call 2-1-1 / Toll-Free Number: 1-877-330-3213 / TTY: 1-888-340-1001)
• Online
  • Search Durham.211Central.ca for Durham Region
  • View the Victim Support Directory
  • 211Ontario.ca for province-wide / 211.ca for nation-wide
• Text
  • Send an SMS to 21166
  • Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 
• Live Chat
  • 211Ontario.ca/chat
  • Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 
• Email
  • gethelp@211Ontario.ca
  • Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

The City continues to actively request assistance from all levels of government to help resolve the homelessness and mental health issues in our community, including: 

• advocating to the Solicitor General regarding changes to their release programs
• advocating to the Province and the Region regarding changes to the needle distribution program
• advocating to the Region about advancing decentralization of services, more even distribution of services across the Region and creating a day program with supports
• advocating to all levels of government to allocate significant funding, resources and tools to address the complex issues of homelessness, mental health and addictions and to provide much-needed integrated care and wrap-around support programs for better health outcomes

Additionally, we continue to collaborate with the Region and various partners and agencies, including DRPS, Lakeridge Health and social service organizations.

The City continues to support the Region as a committed partner and has responded to the acute health and safety challenges in the downtown core and surrounding public spaces by allocating funding, resources and staffing.

Examples of the City’s actions to support residents and businesses include:

• support for our Downtown Business community through additional lighting, security, addressing graffiti and garbage removal
• daily sidewalk and road cleaning in the downtown
• daily cleanup of street facing business entrances in the downtown
• aid to private property owners with the removal of drug paraphernalia
• introduced new opportunities for downtown businesses to apply for the Community Improvement Plan grant for security and safety items
• implemented beautification improvements in the downtown
• proactive parks patrol and cleaning of trails and parks across the city
• increased patrol 24/7 in the downtown by Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Corporate Security Officers
• Oshawa Fire’s new specialized Rapid Response Unit combined with 20 additional Firefighters to support quick and efficient response to overdose calls

As a collaborative partner, the City has been key in helping to establish or advance several innovative programs offered by the Region, including:

• Durham Region Street Outreach Program – launched in 2024, outreach workers provide 24/7 support to help connect unsheltered individuals to services and shelter
• Primary Care Outreach Program – available 7 days a week, this mobile program provides Advanced Care Paramedic and Social Worker Services assistance to people experiencing homelessness
• Mental Health Outreach Program - outreach clinical counselling and psychotherapy services 5 days a week to vulnerable populations

To learn more about these Regional programs, visit the Region’s Street Outreach webpage.