It Begins With Us
The safety and health of our community members is one of our top priorities. Leading change challenges all of us to think a little differently. We believe that change begins with us. The City of Oshawa is leading change by finding new and innovative ways to help those who are unsheltered and most vulnerable in our community. Through partnerships with service organizations, we’re reaching out to service providers and other cities to find local, compassionate solutions.
The City continues to be a leader on a number of initiatives that are making a difference – and helping us build a better community for everyone.
| O.U.R. Task Force |
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Achieving a healthy city for all requires a collective effort. Recognizing this, the City took significant action in May 2018 to bring together The Regional Municipality of Durham, CAREA Community Health Centre, Cornerstone, Durham Regional Police Services, John Howard Society of Durham Region and other service providers to address the issue of unsheltered residents in Oshawa. These City-initiated meetings resulted in the Oshawa Unsheltered Residents (O.U.R.) Task Force being established in July 2018. Now led by the Region, the O.U.R. Task Force is committed to helping individuals in need of shelter and providing connections to support health and social services. The City of Oshawa continues to lead this important work. During 2019 City Budget deliberations, Oshawa City Council approved the allocation of $200,000 in the 2019 operating budget to support the O.U.R. program initiative and provide the City with funding needed for initiatives related to unsheltered residents, such as needle recovery. |
| Unsheltered Outreach |
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The City takes every step possible to connect individuals in need in our community with services and shelter. Through a collaborative effort – Durham Region’s Primary Care Outreach Program, community service providers, the Durham Regional Police Service mobile response team and the City’s Municipal Law Enforcement team – we are in continuous contact with unsheltered residents. We care for everyone and safety is a priority. We reach out and offer support to unsheltered individuals who are in need of shelter and access to services – and we have successfully made hundreds of connections and provided support to those who were receptive. Visit the Contact Us / Finding Help webpage for information on emergency shelters and for contact information on how to report debris / discarded needles in a City park, trail, greenspace or facility to report illegal activity in our public spaces. |
| On Point Pilot Program |
| This out-of-the-box solution was led by City staff, who saw an opportunity to bring a unique solution to address the health and safety issue of used needles and drug paraphernalia being discarded in our parks and greenspaces.
City staff brought the idea of a needle clean-up pilot project to the O.U.R. Task Force, and, as a result, On Point was launched in July 2019 by the City of Oshawa, The Regional Municipality of Durham and John Howard Society. The pilot project involves the removal of used needles and other drug paraphernalia from priority parks, trails and greenspaces for the safety of the community. The program also provides employment and support to individuals working under the program who have experienced mental health issues, addiction or living unsheltered. On Point individuals receive supervision, safety kits and training to assist with the cleanup of needles and other drug paraphernalia left behind in identified priority parks and green spaces in Oshawa. In addition to training and employment, program participants are also provided with housing outreach services and other community resources to help gain the experience to transition to long-term employment. The pilot project will continue until March 31, 2020. At this time, 6 individuals are employed, trained and actively working with plans to train 2 additional participants shortly. On Point is being partially funded through the Community Homeless Prevention Initiative (C.H.P.I.). The initial funding amount for this project is $104,400:
We are measuring the success of the program and continual updates will be posted here to report on program achievements. Since the start of the program, program participants have safely collected and disposed of more than 3,900 used needles and 14,400 pieces of substance paraphernalia. Community members are reminded to contact Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311 to report unlawful behaviour such as littering, individuals living in City parks or if you find a discarded needle in a City park, trail, greenspace or facility. Please do not pick up a used needle with your hands. More information on how to protect yourself if you find a needle on City or your own property is available here. To report illegal activity (e.g. drug use, thefts, vandalism, aggressive behaviour), please contact Durham Region Police Services at 905-579-1520 or Oshawa@drps.ca. |
| Welcoming Streets |
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Based on a successful model used in Guelph, Ontario, Oshawa City Council has approved a Welcoming Streets pilot project in downtown Oshawa. Introduced and led by the City of Oshawa, Welcoming Streets is a partnership between the City, C.A.R.E.A. Community Health Centre and the Downtown Oshawa B.I.A. that provides targeted street outreach services to vulnerable individuals, as well as education and training to businesses in our downtown. Through this initiative, a community-based outreach worker serves as a point of first contact and helps connect those who are vulnerable to services that they need while providing support, education and training to downtown businesses. This six-month pilot program runs from October 2019 to March 2020 and is being partially funded by the City’s approved allocation to the Oshawa Unsheltered Residents (O.U.R.) Program Initiative. In September 2019, Oshawa City Council approved a contribution of $50,224. The funding will help cover costs associated with the pilot project, including outreach work, de-escalation training and communications materials. |
| Safe needle disposal units |
| The City in collaboration with John Howard Society of Durham Region, provides and installs safe needle disposal units in priority City parks and greenspaces. The John Howard Society of Durham Region monitors the units and takes care of the proper disposal of the sharps collected in the disposal units.
There are currently 14 needle units with plans to install more in additional priority areas in Oshawa. The units are located:
If you find a discarded needle or sharp in a City park, trail, greenspace or facility, contact Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311. Do not pick it up with your hands. Learn more about how to protect yourself, including what to do if you find a needle on your own property. |