Good day Commissioner Danos-Papaconstantinou, Chair Henry and Inspector Saliba,
I read with interest the response last week by the Region of Durham Commissioner of Social Services to the concerns being raised by numerous Oshawa residents and business owners.
I was glad to see where the Commissioner stated that their “concerns have been heard loud and clear, and we are taking immediate action.”
Also, with yesterday’s follow-up ‘Joint Statement by Region Chair Henry and Oshawa Mayor Carter’ the fact there seemed to be acknowledgement that past policies have created problems for downtown Oshawa residents and business owners certainly gives hope.
However, respectfully, there was something missing in yesterday’s Joint Statement.
It is an unfortunate gap in the teamwork and community building process that there seems to be no plan to involve Oshawa’s other elected representatives.
For much of the past three years now Oshawa Mayor Carter (who is also Chair of the Durham Non-Profit Housing Corporation) and Deputy Mayor Chapman (who is Chair of Region Social Services, and Chair of the Region’s Homelessness Advisory Committee) have directed certain approaches pertaining to the Region and Oshawa concerning homelessness, mental health and drug addiction.
Initiatives put in place which have involved various funding sources, marked by their plans and their contacts, include: the Primary Care Outreach Program (PCOP), the On Point Needle Program, CAREA’s involvement with Welcoming Streets, and Mayor Carter’s promotion of Spirit of Service, the Mission United Hub services; the Oshawa Unsheltered Residents (OUR) program and the Mayor’s Task Force on Safety, Security and Well Being.
Ignoring input that Oshawa’s other elected representatives may provide, risks a repeat of the same unsuccessful “top down” policies of the past.
At this stage, even with the delegation of Council’s authority under the Emergency Management Declaration during the pandemic, in my opinion, it is essential to have all Oshawa Council members receive input from and provide input to the Region of Durham. In fact it is respectful to the people of Oshawa not leave out their elected representatives, especially when homelessness and drug problems have gotten so much worse and impact every Councillor’s Ward.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor have worked hard and passionately, but, as admirable as their efforts may have been, now in Oshawa it is time for a path forward with ‘all hands on deck’.
Please know that 5 members of Oshawa Council concerned with the deteriorating situation, especially in the downtown, made it clear they wanted a Special Council meeting this summer on the issues.
Although the summer has slipped away and a Special Meeting has not been called, I personally would like to ask the Durham Region Commissioner of Social Services Commissioner Danos-Papaconstantinou, Durham Region Chair Henry, and Durham Regional Police Services Central East Division Inspector Saliba to make an in-person presentation at a still to be arranged Oshawa Special Council meeting at the earliest convenient time.
All Oshawa Council members would benefit from being more informed with qualitative information on the social issues the Region has responsibility for in Oshawa.
There is some data the Region has made available, such as Durham Paramedics stats showing Oshawa has more than double the number of opioid emergency calls compared to all of the Region’s 7 other lower tier municipalities.. It is one aspect of the tracking that signals there is a problem and the kind of information that can help inform policy decisions.
For an understanding of what is contributing to the rise in certain problems in Oshawa, the Region can provide data and insights related to:
Thank you for your consideration of the above.
Regards,
Rosemary McConkey
Oshawa City Councillor Ward 1
I read with interest the response last week by the Region of Durham Commissioner of Social Services to the concerns being raised by numerous Oshawa residents and business owners.
I was glad to see where the Commissioner stated that their “concerns have been heard loud and clear, and we are taking immediate action.”
Also, with yesterday’s follow-up ‘Joint Statement by Region Chair Henry and Oshawa Mayor Carter’ the fact there seemed to be acknowledgement that past policies have created problems for downtown Oshawa residents and business owners certainly gives hope.
However, respectfully, there was something missing in yesterday’s Joint Statement.
It is an unfortunate gap in the teamwork and community building process that there seems to be no plan to involve Oshawa’s other elected representatives.
For much of the past three years now Oshawa Mayor Carter (who is also Chair of the Durham Non-Profit Housing Corporation) and Deputy Mayor Chapman (who is Chair of Region Social Services, and Chair of the Region’s Homelessness Advisory Committee) have directed certain approaches pertaining to the Region and Oshawa concerning homelessness, mental health and drug addiction.
Initiatives put in place which have involved various funding sources, marked by their plans and their contacts, include: the Primary Care Outreach Program (PCOP), the On Point Needle Program, CAREA’s involvement with Welcoming Streets, and Mayor Carter’s promotion of Spirit of Service, the Mission United Hub services; the Oshawa Unsheltered Residents (OUR) program and the Mayor’s Task Force on Safety, Security and Well Being.
Ignoring input that Oshawa’s other elected representatives may provide, risks a repeat of the same unsuccessful “top down” policies of the past.
At this stage, even with the delegation of Council’s authority under the Emergency Management Declaration during the pandemic, in my opinion, it is essential to have all Oshawa Council members receive input from and provide input to the Region of Durham. In fact it is respectful to the people of Oshawa not leave out their elected representatives, especially when homelessness and drug problems have gotten so much worse and impact every Councillor’s Ward.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor have worked hard and passionately, but, as admirable as their efforts may have been, now in Oshawa it is time for a path forward with ‘all hands on deck’.
Please know that 5 members of Oshawa Council concerned with the deteriorating situation, especially in the downtown, made it clear they wanted a Special Council meeting this summer on the issues.
Although the summer has slipped away and a Special Meeting has not been called, I personally would like to ask the Durham Region Commissioner of Social Services Commissioner Danos-Papaconstantinou, Durham Region Chair Henry, and Durham Regional Police Services Central East Division Inspector Saliba to make an in-person presentation at a still to be arranged Oshawa Special Council meeting at the earliest convenient time.
All Oshawa Council members would benefit from being more informed with qualitative information on the social issues the Region has responsibility for in Oshawa.
There is some data the Region has made available, such as Durham Paramedics stats showing Oshawa has more than double the number of opioid emergency calls compared to all of the Region’s 7 other lower tier municipalities.. It is one aspect of the tracking that signals there is a problem and the kind of information that can help inform policy decisions.
For an understanding of what is contributing to the rise in certain problems in Oshawa, the Region can provide data and insights related to:
- Trend of federal inmates released to Cornerstone;
- Trend of babies born at Lakeridge Health Oshawa hospital to drug addicts that are immediately given to CAS? (in conversations with social support workers it seems the number may be alarmingly high);
- Number of sleeping bags handed out by PCOP and/or CAREA:
- In-house stays at Pinewood for addiction treatment —are fewer days allotted at Pinewood than at other public health supported addiction facilities in the Province, and if so, why?
- What are the plans for vulnerable person winter warming stations or shelters in the Region?
- Trend of hotel/motel rooms used by the Region for social support?
- What are the occupancy dates for the new 50 unit Beaverton housing project? and the 10 unit Olive Ave micro housing —and what number of homeless from Oshawa will be housed in the first intake at these new units?
- Where are the 41 units being built with the $10.3M that CMHC announced July 21, 2021 was funding for the vulnerable?
- What is the Region’s long term plan related to the Region’s Mission Hub —will the 7 day a week lunch program that started with COVID-19 when Durham Outlook for the Needy aka St. Vincent’s Kitchen closed March 2020, discontinue when St. Vincent’s opens its new premise this year —and is there a set term expiry date for the Region’s provision of wrap around services at that location?
- What plans are there for the downtown Cornerstone dormitory style shelter being changed to individual spaces?
Thank you for your consideration of the above.
Regards,
Rosemary McConkey
Oshawa City Councillor Ward 1