A new pilot project in Downtown Guelph is aimed at making it a safer and more welcoming place for everyone.
The Downtown Guelph Welcoming Streets Initiative involves an outreach worker from the Guelph Community Health Centre available to support those on the street who may be in crisis or exhibiting “concerning” behaviour. That could include anything ranging from drug overdoses, mental health situations or homelessness.
The outreach worker will also support businesses who may face situations they might not feel comfortable dealing with.
The outreach worker, who started on July 16, will also hopefully result in police being called less often.
Jan Klotz, Client Care Supervisor with the Guelph Community Health Centre, said the worker’s role is both a reactive and a proactive one.
“Say it’s nine o’clock in the morning and you go into the bank and someone is sleeping in the vestibule. What’s happening right now is that people are often calling police,” Klotz said in an interview.
“This role really provides business owners with that support …. to actually go to that business owner and provide the support that they might be looking for,” Klotz said.
Downtown business owners have expressed concern about some of the behaviour they sometimes have to deal with.
At a recent town hall meeting, Downtown Guelph Business Association executive director Marty Williams said many business owners want to help, they just don’t know how to.
One of the roles of the outreach worker is to connect people to the health and social service network.
“What this program’s about is connecting social issues to social supports rather than enforcement. Using the appropriate resources and supports. What’s most appropriate in the moment,” Klotz said.
The five month pilot project is a partnership between Guelph Police, Downtown Guelph Business Association, County of Wellington, and the Guelph Community Health Centre.
“The Downtown Guelph Business Association is very happy to support this project. I believe that by working together we can make a difference in the lives of people struggling with poverty, addictions and mental health issues. And by doing so, we make our public places safer and more welcoming for everybody," said Williams in a news release.
Guelph Police often receive calls about situations that require social intervention, not enforcement, Klotz said.
“The Guelph Police Service is very pleased to partner on this initiative, as together we respond to challenges in our community. Through this pilot we are supporting those who need assistance, but also ensuring we maintain a safe and enjoyable downtown,” said Guelph Police Chief Jeff DeRuyter.
If the pilot project is successful it is hoped funding will be found to make it permanent.
