Camp Samac to shelter local homeless population

By Courtney Bachar/The Oshawa Express/LJI Reporter

Camp Samac has opened as a new shelter location for the vulnerable population to help them self-isolate and help stop the spread of COVID-19.

The new location opened May 1 in order to provide additional shelter space for unsheltered residents in Oshawa and Durham.

“While COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting all of us, it is particularly hard-hitting to our vulnerable sectors,” says Commissioner of Social Services Stella Danos-Papaconstantinou at the most recent Durham Region Council meeting. “We have homeless residents living in Durham who need our help during this crisis.”

She says the Durham Advisory Committee on Homelessness staff is acting as Durham’s COVID-19 Homelessness Response Network for planning operations and service delivery to support this vulnerable population and comes together weekly to identify, prioritize and respond to community needs in response to the pandemic.

The region worked closely with Scouts Canada who provided the use of Camp Samac as a temporary location for unsheltered residents.

First Light Foundation of Hope and Christian Faith Outreach Centre will be coordinating the project and will be moving their current centre in order to accommodate more residents all in one location.

The opening and use of Camp Samac is a direct, temporary response to further support the homeless shelter response, increase physical distancing and support social distancing within the shelter system.

Camp Samac will provide sleeping space for up to 40 residents with staff on site at all times, as well as an additional security guard who will be on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to monitor the grounds.

Residents will have access to the sleeping lodge and to the outdoor area directly attached to the lodge.

“Our priority is to ensure that homeless residents in Durham can have access to appropriate physical distancing and be supported to maintain physical distancing during the pandemic to reduce community spread both within this population and the Durham community at large,” says Danos-Papaconstantinou, adding Camp Samac will not be used as an isolation site for those testing positive for COVID-19. She says those residents who have tested positive and those awaiting test results will be placed at two separate hotel sites as part of the hotel program, where they will be provided with the needed isolation, comfort, meals and virtual mental health support and assistance as a direct response to the virus.

The opening of Camp Samac comes as part of the region’s continued efforts to work with community partners to support the homeless shelter response and increase physical distancing within the shelter system during the pandemic.

One Oshawa city and regional councillor shared his concerns with utilizing Camp Samac for this purpose and noted the lack of communication that was shared with both council and the public prior to opening the site on May 1. He says he’s received numerous calls and messages from residents in the area about the safety and use of this location.

“The situation surrounding COVID and the emergency that we’re under has obviously called for different measures to be put in place, and this is not to take away from the fact that the unsheltered are a grave concern for all of us, but the question is whether there were other sites considered aside from Camp Samac,” says Oshawa Ward 2 City and Regional Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri, adding that fire risk and security are also noted concerns from residents in the area.

Danos-Papaconstantinou says staff worked closely with the team to assess the gaps in the community and address what was needed to support those who are unsheltered, as well as ensure they had a place to gather in one location that already had all the associated requirements.

“It is the best location from our perspective because of its location, it had all the requirements – the beds and extra lodging for staff as well as the ability to increase usage of the site if required,” says Danos-Papaconstantinou, adding it is important to keep this client group close together in one location to limit the potential spread of the virus into the community.

She also noted the region has been in contact with both Oshawa Fire and DRPS regarding the matter and both are in support of the initiative.

“The Region of Durham is committed to maintaining the health and safety of all residents. We are all doing our best to follow public health direction to stay at home, but we must remember that not everyone has a home,” says Danos-Papaconstantinou. “During this emergency situation, it is more important than ever not to let anyone fall through the cracks. We are fortunate to live in a community where we can help those in need respond to this pandemic. Doing so helps all of us flatten the curve.”