Ontario’s health minister is confident that our district can qualify for part of the 378-million dollars she’s putting up for 19 addiction treatment hubs.
Sylvia Jones refers to them as Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment – or “Hart” hubs.
She says the hubs will include all the required services beyond those that just allow and enable drug use. That means stable housing, primary health care and mental health and addiction programs.
“If tomorrow or next week, you need social services, you need mental assistance, you need pathways to supportive housing,” the minister states, “all those are embedded in these HART hubs.”
Jones clarifies that the supervised consumption site in Timmins didn’t close due to a freeze in government funding. It opened before getting provincial funding, relying on local money.
She’s encouraging the agencies that cooperated on the Safe Health Site Timmins facility to work together, and apply for a so-called “Hart Hub” for the entire region.
“And I am very hopeful that all of the great organizations and work that has been happening on the ground in places like Timmins will put together an application and submit it and ultimately get approved.”
