By Sandra Milton
Probably the thought ‘Ghostbusters’ comes to mind! But Ghostbusters cannot do the reach out on the daily strange happenings in Lowertown. So, who are you going to call?
Lowertown has always had some strange happenings and last year about this time, the Echo carried a story to motivate residents to reach out and call on some of the public and private not-for-profit services that make our community safer for everyone. But for many residents, there seemed to be an increase this year of tents in parks and other green spaces, agitated individuals on the streets, and trespassers in private spaces.
These and other activities signaled a need for not only more outreach for individuals experiencing homelessness but also a more coordinated approach. One consequence of the overcrowded shelter spaces with limited services for mental health and addiction is more pressure on police and other emergency services as well as more pressure on concerned and involved neighbours to seek social solutions for social issues.
Much of the strangeness in the neighbourhood does not need a 911 call for police, fire or ambulance. Only use 911 in emergency situations involving health, safety or property where immediate assistance is required. For non-emergency situations such as suspicious activity, traffic violations, drug activity, etc., you can call the police at 613-236-1222.
But if the incident involves discarded syringes, tents in public spaces, individuals sleeping on the sidewalk, graffiti, etc., then it is a 311 call about Ottawa’s community services. In this case, be ready to wait in a telephone queue and then be prepared to walk someone through the information about the location. For example, when is Bordeleau Park actually King Edward Ave. Park and when does the happening need a response from the National Capital Commission and not the City of Ottawa? The manager for the City’s call centre understands the fact that there are problems and is seeking ways to regain public confidence and provide a positive experience. The general goal is to have less than a two-minute wait on a 311 call.
COVID-19 has made the presence and problems of our city’s homeless population more visible, and several organizations that are funded to address their shelter and other needs have now expanded outreach services throughout the community. Funding for agencies such as the Salvation Army, Ottawa Inner City Health, the Wabano Centre and others has allowed the City to outsource outreach services to assist individuals in our city’s streets and parks.
In the past we would call various outreach numbers. For example, the Salvation Army Outreach Van can be reached at 613-241-1573 from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. 7 days a week. If it is an Indigenous person needing help, the Wabano Centre van could be called while Ottawa Inner City Health at 613-462-5567 can deal with non-violent people in distress, as well as homelessness and addiction-related issues. The outreach people from Sandy Hill Community Centre are usually on foot with a wagon containing water and other sustaining items, and Centre 454 is available. Due to COVID and lack of staff there has been a major gap in these services, so how do you know who to call?
Over the course of the summer, residents recognized the need for a single outreach number to relay information about individuals possibly experiencing drug interactions or, dehydration, or simply needing a helping hand to get to a shelter. Instead of waiting for a response to a 311 request from a city bylaw officer, they wanted to be able to call directly to a single number that was not also dealing with COVID, potholes, garbage or parking. For some reason, the ability to coordinate the outreach services being provided by multiple social-oriented organizations is difficult, and to date has been unachievable.
We have just received news that the Salvation Army Outreach has created a dedicated email address as an option for residents to report encampments and other situations about people experiencing homelessness in need of outreach services. The email address, which is functioning at present is: Outreach@saobc.org
As per the City of Ottawa’s recent email:
This dedicated email address will be solely for the purpose of providing information directly to the Salvation Army. It is important for residents to keep in mind that the Salvation Army Outreach will not respond directly back to them regarding their concern, however, please note that every email will be read and actioned by the Salvation Army Outreach Team. Residents will receive an auto-reply message to acknowledge receipt of their email and to provide additional guidance/resources, including calling 3-1-1 or 9-1-1 as appropriate.
So, “If there’s something weird And it don’t look good” maybe Ghostbusters is the answer.
Sandra Milton is chair of the LCA Safety & Security Committee