Algoma area receives funding for HART hubs

The much-anticipated HART hub announcement was kind to the Algoma district on Monday.

Two successful proposals from Sault Ste. Marie and the North Shore will greatly increase the reach of homelessness and addiction supports.

“I know you all think I’m here to announce that Sault Ste. Marie was the successful recipient of a HART hub,” said Sault MPP Ross Romano.

“And I want to tell you that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to tell you we were the recipient of two HART hubs.”

Various agencies in the Sault, as well as the Mamaweswen Tribal Council, will be among 27 to operate the homelessness and addiction recovery treatment – or HART – hubs.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Annette Katajamaki of the Canadian Mental Health Association.

“I am retiring from CMHA after 40 years here, and this is like the icing on the cake for me to know this is coming and to be able to help in the implementation before I go.”

Romano said there are no easy solutions to addiction and mental health challenges.

Lots of work ahead

“There is no single solution to it,” he said.

“It’s going to take a lot more work. And all we can continue to do is work together. And I think we have an amazing community that, comes together.”

The Sault’s HART hub will operate out of the current community resource centre. It will eliminate an in-kind model and will bring more consistency to its services, in addition to being a one-stop shop for clients.

“Additional housing units, more of a 24 / 7 response, the ability to have what everyone might need in one place and not necessarily get a referral, but kind of like, oh, I’ve got somebody you can meet that you can help there, right over there. Let me introduce you,” Katajamaki said.

Mamaweswen’s hub will be in Blind River. Its leadership is glad the North Shore wasn’t overlooked, allowing community members to stay in or near their home communities for treatment.

“When, you know, 60 to 70 per cent of homeless people are identified as Indigenous,” said Allan Moffatt from the Mamaweswen North Shore Tribal Council.

“It’s so important for the Indigenous communities to be involved in a project like this. And the fact that we’ve been selected as an Indigenous led Hart Hub really speaks volumes to, you know, it’s not just reconciliation, it’s reality.”

Neither organization has been sent the specifics regarding how much funding they will receive. But both are confident they will be operable well before the April 1 goal.

Mamaweswen still needs to hire about 50 staff to run its many new programs.