As someone born and raised in Oshawa, I have seen the progression of vandalism within the city limits. Some graffiti, like the installments at Simcoe and Taunton in the One Eyed Jacks parking lot, is incredible artwork, but the vast majority of it is unsightly and unwanted.
Regardless if you’re a small business owner, commercial real estate investor or major property management company, dealing with graffiti removal can be a headache, and an unexpected expense. As a professional graffiti removal service, it’s exciting to see municipalities offering financial support to prevent and remove graffiti, especially when it is an area that is plagued by graffiti like Oshawa is.
Extending beyond graffiti, the program also covers reparation and prevention of other forms of vandalism, but for the sake of this article, we’re going to focus on only graffiti. If you wish to take advantage of this program, here are the key highlights that you need to know:
Types Of Rebates Available
Within Oshawa’s graffiti and vandalism remediation fund, there are two different types of rebates available.The first is a reparative rebate which is aimed at offsetting removal costs. The reparative grant will cover up to 50% of eligible expenses to a maximum of $2000.
Next there is the preventative grant. This rebate covers up to 50% of eligible expenses to a maximum of $5000. It’s important to note that both rebates are for one-time use per eligible municipal street address, storefront or commercial/industrial unit.
Eligible Expense Under The Reparative Grant
As the name suggests, the reparative grant is focused on those who have already been hit with graffiti, and covers graffiti removal expenses and other vandalism that is not covered by insurance. You can also apply to have the grant cover your insurance deductibles for the applicable vandalism claim.
Eligible Preventative Grant Expenses
The eligible expenses under this portion of the grant include application of an anti-graffiti coating as well as other investment to help prevent graffiti recurrence including installation of improved exterior lighting, security cameras, alarms and more.
Who Is Eligible For The Remediation Fund
Through our research, it looks as though the grant is only offered to businesses and is not applicable to residential homes or apartments. Businesses who meet the criteria can apply for both of the grants as long as they can prove ownership or tenancy of the address in question and meet the additional guidelines set forth by the City of Oshawa.
From what we gather, the work would need to be completed with receipts and before/after pictures before your application can be approved, and it’s important to highlight that the grant can be applied retroactively for work completed before your application has been submitted.
Another caveat worth mentioning is that the eligibility criteria also states that work ordered through by-law offices is not eligible as it looks like they are incentivizing property owners to take action before Municipal Law Enforcement Services gets involved.
Interested in seeing the full eligibility criteria and begin the application process? Head to the dedicated Graffiti And Vandalism Remediation Fund webpage. You can also reach out to the department of Business and Economic Development Services with your questions regarding the application requirements. Their contact information is on the sidebar of the program webpage.
If you’d like to inquire about our graffiti removal services and anti-graffiti coating, you can email travis@guardiangraffitiremoval.ca or text/call 905-622-5326 for more information.