The Ontario Government says a second Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub has officially been approved for Ottawa.
Earlier this month, the government approved the Somerset West Community Health Centre’s transition from a supervised drug consumption site into a HART Hub. On Monday, the province said the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre’s (PQCHC) application to operate as a HART Hub has also been approved.
The PQCHC did not previously provide supervised drug consumption services and applied instead under a separate “competitive” stream for non-profit health providers.
All HART Hubs will have the goal of being operational by April 1, 2025, the province says.
“This funding for a second HART Hub is a vital step in ensuring more residents—urban, suburban, and rural—have access to life-saving care. With Ottawa’s vast geography and growing needs, multiple HART Hubs will strengthen addiction treatment and recovery services,” said Mayor Mark Sutcliffe in a news release. “The new Ottawa West Hub, in partnership with four regional paramedic services, will focus on early interventions and housing stability, complementing the Somerset West Hub’s intensive support model. By working together, we’re building a more responsive, compassionate system that prioritizes people-centered care.”
The PQCHC is located on Richmond Road, placing it close to areas such as Britannia, Lincoln Fields and Carlingwood; however, the final location of the west-end HART Hub has yet to be determined. Officials with the PQCHC said it would not be in its Richmond Road building.
“It (the new hub) wouldn’t be attached to Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Center, our main site here on Richmond Road. It would be a separate location and one that would house many different organizations and services under one roof and in an integrated service delivery model,” said CEO Tamara Chipperfield at a media event Wednesday.
“We’re really connected into community and hear the issues related to food security, employment, housing, mental health and substance use health. So, we know the need is great here.”
HART Hubs are intended to have a low barrier to access and provide primary care, mental health, substance use treatment, housing with supports, and health systems navigation services. They do not offer safer supply services, supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs.
Mark MacAulay, executive director of Ottawa Salus, said a focus on keeping people from losing their homes would make a difference.
“Housing loss prevention includes early intervention strategies, such as eviction prevention, which seeks to stabilize the housing of individuals and families facing imminent homelessness,” MacAulay said.
“The West Ottawa HART Hub’s approach will also include shelter diversion strategies. These strategies focus on helping individuals who arrive at emergency shelters or risk losing their housing... Eviction prevention and shelter diversion are among the most cost-effective interventions for ending homelessness. They help stabilize a person’s housing situation before they have a crisis.”
The Ontario government is spending $529 million to establish 27 HART Hubs across the province.
HART Hubs were also approved in Renfrew County, Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, and Belleville.
--With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Kimberley Fowler
