Kitchener HART Hub will not be running at full operation: Community Healthcaring CEO

A local service provider says the site of a new HART Hub is set to open in Kitchener on April 1 will not be fully operational due to funding concerns.

Tara Groves Taylor, the CEO of Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo, said issues such as funding and the provincial snap election are some of the reasons affecting the opening. She said the start-up funding is available, but they are still working on getting the funds to help run the pilot program for the next three years.

“We’re working closely with Ontario Health West to have access to ongoing funding as soon as we can,” said Groves-Taylor. “We’re working with them and are in touch with them almost daily.”

The consumption and treatment services (CTS) site on Duke Street in Kitchener is set to close on March 31, with the new HART hub anchor location set to open at 44 Francis St. on April 1 as part of the province’s push to move those sites away from school areas. The new HART Hubs will have support for health care, outreach services and withdrawal management, but will not have supervised consumption.

“Our model is not at one location, it’s across the community in locations where we know people have relationships, have built trust and are already accessing services,” said Groves-Taylor.

In Guelph, the HART Hub is not expected to open on time citing a lack of funding from the Ministry of Health.

“Starting April 1, individuals will have access to coordinated wraparound supports, including primary care, addiction and mental health services, social supports, and outreach programs. Additional services, such as bedded care, crisis intervention, and supportive housing, will become fully operational in the coming months,” Melissa Kwiatkowski, Chief Executive Officer of the Guelph Community Health Centre, said in a statement.

The Ministry of Health provided the following statement to 570 News Radio:

“As part of the Ontario government’s $529 million investment to create 27 new Homelessness Addictions Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, we are transitioning nine drug injection sites located dangerously close to schools and daycare centres to focus on support and treatment – including in Guelph and Kitchener. These sites have known they would have the opportunity to transition to a HART Hub to be opened April 1^st, 2025, since August 20^th, 2024. That opportunity was confirmed to all 9 transitioning sites on January 2nd.”

“We trust each transitioning HART Hub has spent the last 6 months working to have services available to connect people to the care and support they need, when they open their doors. Funding has been approved for each transitioning site and all Hubs will be operational as of April 1^st. The Ministry will continue to work with all 27 HART Hubs on their multi-year operational budgets.”