Police clear out small encampment in Oshawa

Complaints from the community led to a clear-out of a small encampment in Oshawa this week.

The Durham Regional Police say they received complaints about people “trespassing on private property” in the Quebec Street and Centre Street area of Oshawa.

Bike patrol officers checked on the area this week and found people living in tents, according to a tweet from Aug. 17.

“The occupants here were advised to clean up and vacate,” the tweet reads.

Police also said trespassing can come with a $65 fine.

There were four people in the encampment, a police spokesperson tells inDurham. One person had an outstanding warrant and the others were asked to leave with no charges laid.

Back in 2019, police cleared out a large encampment of about 30 people in the same area, at 101 Quebec St.

Bike patrol officers from @DRPSCEDiv are checking private properties as per community complaints. Reminder, trespassing on private property without the owners permission is prohibited and can result in a $65.00 fine. The occupants here were advised to clean up and vacate. pic.twitter.com/0rCbUvQkxN

— Durham Regional Police – Central East Division (@DRPSCEDiv) August 17, 2022

The incident comes as homelessness is on the rise in Durham Region.

The number of people living in unsheltered spaces increased significantly from 13 per cent in 2018 to 40 per cent in 2021, according to the Region of Durham Point-in-Time Count 2021 report.

The Point-in-Time Count captures a snapshot of individuals experiencing homelessness in the Durham Region. The data is gathered in a 24-hour period with the latest information coming from Oct. 20 to 21, 2021.

At least 573 individuals experienced homelessness in 2021 compared to 291 in 2018, according to the report.

Of those people, 40 per cent were unsheltered, 27 per cent were in a homeless shelter, five per cent in a hotel or motel, 16 per cent in a transitional shelter, and 11 per cent in someone else’s home.

Oshawa had the largest number of people experiencing homelessness per capita.

The most common reason for people living unsheltered was lack of affordable housing and insufficient income, according to the report.