The Ford government is facing a tough decision as a large number of non-profit organizations compete to run addiction recovery centres, which have to be opened before many supervised consumption centres close.
The initial process for groups interested in opening new state-funded addiction recovery centers — called Heart Hubs — ended Saturday, with more than 80 nonprofits indicating they plan to get involved.
The government is currently planning to launch 19 new Heart Hubs across Ontario sometime during the winter, as part of a $378-million project announced Tuesday that will replace 10 supervised drug consumption sites that must close by the end of March.
The process to open these centres formally began in late August, when the province posted a wide-ranging application for groups interested in running the new highly supportive housing and intensive addiction recovery centres.
The document says it will accept applications to run 10 of the province’s 19 planned addiction rehabilitation centres, and says the remaining nine sites will be decided through a “separate process.”
A Ministry of Health spokesperson told Global News that more than 80 groups had shared their desire to apply to run hubs with the government by the weekend. The formal application deadline is mid-October.
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These figures mean that the majority of people wishing to open a heart hub will be rejected.
In its application package, the province said it would select the 10 sites based on community need, how ready the project is to begin by winter, and how well it is integrated with other services, along with budget stability.
“Given the target of operationalising the hubs by winter 2025, proposals will be considered that can demonstrate well-established relationships/partnerships and routes as well as access to existing infrastructure,” a part of the document said.
The application package states the hubs would receive a budget of $6.3 million per year, with $1.3 million per year provided specifically for supportive housing. Another $1.8 million would be provided for one-time start-up costs — the Heart Hubs project is currently funded over four years.
Heart hubs have been planned for some time to overlap with the supervised consumption sites they are set to replace, and the premier has repeatedly argued that heart hubs fail to address Ontario’s growing opioid crisis.
“It doesn’t work — I know, I’ve encountered it in my own family, I’ve encountered it in my own community,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in August.
“What works is rehab, detox beds, helping these people get into good paying jobs, housing is absolutely critical and there are a lot of things that just can’t be ignored. That’s my personal opinion – and we’re putting our money where our mouths are.”
The Government has committed a total of $378 million over four years to the Heart Hub project.
A government spokesperson previously spoke to Global News, saying $378 million will see 375 “highly supportive” housing units built under the hub model, with an opening date set for the winter — between December 2024 and March 2025.
Advocates have broadly welcomed the hub funding announcements, but have urged the government to reverse its decision to close supervised consumption sites, or at least delay it significantly, so that orderly change can take place and potentially fatal capacity problems can be avoided.
“Keep our site running and keep the other sites funded until these new centres are set up, and then we can do warm referrals,” Barb Painter, senior manager of harm reduction and drop-in programs at the Kensington Market supervised consumption site, previously suggested in an interview with Global News.
“You come and visit us because we have a five-year relationship, and then we will take you to this HART hub, and set you up there.”
More than 80 groups had expressed interest by the September 21 deadline, but those who did not express interest are also eligible to formally apply to run a heart hub by mid-October, the government said.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
