Ontario's HART Hubs: One Year Later

One year ago, Ontario's Ford government shut down nine supervised consumption sites and

launched homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs, or heart hubs to shift focus

from harm reduction to health care, counseling, and paths to housing and long-term treatment.

These hubs, including Ford and Toronto, have boosted services like mental health support

and case management with new funding.

But progress on housing legs, they've only secured 88 supportive units so far and most

clients haven't moved in yet.

Last month, the province announced is defunding all remaining consumption sites across Ontario.

Hub workers and Toronto officials are pushing back hard, saying consumption sites are vital

for building trust and keeping vulnerable folks safe from overdoses.

Without them, a lot of people at risk are falling through cracks and hubs are seeing fewer

drop-ins because services now require registration, unlike the anonymous old model.

Customers like Chris Moise call the closures dangerous and poorly planned, with some hubs

still in temporary spots waiting on full funds.

Clients share mixed stories.

One woman in recovery credits her hub for counseling that unpacked her trauma while others face

long wait lists for, treatment and worry about using a loan.

The province touts over 100,000 client interactions and claims record investments in recovery supports,

but as these hubs hit there, one year mark, the debate rages on about balancing treatment

pushes with immediate safety nets for those still deep in addiction.

Canada News Today, powered by AI Bringing You What Matters, I'm Corey with The Story.