Should London lobby for provincial funding to offset impacts when supervised drug consumption site closes?

Daryl Newcombe reports on a motion to seek financial compensation to cover anticipated impacts when the provincial government stops funding Carepoint.

A motion by Coun. Skylar Franke seeks financial compensation to cover some of the anticipated municipal impacts when the provincial government stops funding the Carepoint Supervised Drug Consumption Site on York Street.

In mid-March, the province initiated a 90-day wind-down period until funding ends for the facility.

“There will be really nowhere for people to go, and so this letter outlines the financial impacts of that closure and how it will ultimately increase a lot of municipal costs,” Franke told colleagues on the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee.

Franke’s motion suggests direct costs could include:

• Increased demand on paramedic services
• Policing costs will rise due to increased public drug use and emergency calls
• Emergency department overcrowding
• Infectious disease transmission

She also suggests significant indirect and municipal costs:

• Increased by-law enforcement and public space maintenance
• Higher costs for waste management in parks and public spaces
• Increased strain on shelters and outreach services
• Impacts on businesses, including reduced foot traffic and increased security costs

Franke’s letter estimates, “Direct immediate system costs in the range of $500,000 to $1 million annually and long-term healthcare liabilities that could extend into the millions.”

Her motion asks Mayor Josh Morgan and Coun. Anna Hopkins, who sits on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, to advocate to the province for increased and sustained resources so London can expand local shelters, increase highly supportive housing, establish additional HART Hubs, and significantly enhance access to detox and rehab services.

“I would love to see us continue to retain the provincial financial investment in our community,” she explained. “And if the intention is for the province to encourage treatment, detox, and treatment beds, then I would love to see that properly funded.”

Members of SPPC supported the motion, which will be considered by Council on April 28.

A provincial news release on March 16 that announced the closer of Carepoint includes the following commitment, “During this period the government will work directly with the municipalities and community partners to ensure a safe, coordinated wind-down of provincial funding for the drug injection sites and successful transition into the new model of recovery.”

The mayor suggested that the timing of the motion is important.

“We know the government with previous closures of these sites in other cities has endeavored to keep the resources in those communities and invest them in different ways,” Morgan said. “So I think there’s a good case to be made to the Minister to say if the government is making a change direction here with the way that they’re going to resource this particular facility, keep those dollars in the community for things that that the government might support.”