Stream of groups indicate interest in running Ford government addiction centers

The Ford government faces a tough decision as a flurry of nonprofits compete to operate addiction recovery centers. They must open before a number of supervised use locations close.

An initial process for groups interested in opening new government-funded addiction treatment centers — nicknamed HART Hubs — closed Saturday, with just over 80 nonprofits indicating they plan to try to get involved.

The government plans to open 19 new Hart Hubs in Ontario sometime this winter. The announced $378 million project is set to replace 10 supervised drug use sites that were forced to close in late March.

The process to formally open these hubs began in late August when the province released a detailed request for proposals for groups interested in running new, highly supportive residential and intensive addiction recovery centres.

The document said applications would be accepted to run 10 of the province’s 19 planned addiction treatment centres, with the remaining nine sites decided through a “separate process.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told Global News that just over 80 groups had expressed their intention to apply for a hub with the government for the weekend. The formal deadline for applications is mid-October.

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The numbers show that the vast majority of people who want to open a Heart Hub will be turned away.

The county indicated in its application package that it would select the 10 sites based on community needs, how ready a project is to open for winter and how well it is integrated with other services, as well as budget sustainability.

“Given the goal of having Hubs operational by winter 2025, consideration will be given to proposals that can demonstrate well-established relationships/partnerships and pathways, as well as access to existing infrastructure,” the document reads in part.

The application package stated that hubs would receive a budget of $6.3 million per year, with $1.3 million per year specifically for supportive housing. A further $1.8 million will be made available for one-off start-up costs – with the Hart Hubs project currently funded over four years.

The Hart Hubs are intended to temporarily overlap with the supervised use sites they will replace, which the premier has repeatedly argued have failed to address Ontario’s growing opioid crisis.

“It doesn’t work. I know, I’ve dealt with it in our family and in our community,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in August.

“What works is rehabilitation, detox beds, supporting these people with good paying jobs, housing is absolutely critical and there’s a whole range of things, not just ignoring it. That’s my personal opinion — and we put our money where our mouth is.”

The government has allocated a total of $378 million over four years to the Hart Hub project.

The $378 million would result in 375 “highly supportive” housing units as part of the hub model, a government spokesperson previously told Global News, with a planned opening date for the winter – between December 2024 and March 2025.

Supporters are generally positive about the hub funding announcements, but are pleading with the government to reverse or at least significantly delay its decision to close supervised consumption locations, to ensure an orderly transition that could potentially prevent fatal capacity issues.

“Keep our site running and keep the other sites funded until these new hubs are up and running, so we can do warm referrals,” Barb Panter, senior manager of harm reduction and drop-in programs at a Kensington Market-controlled consumption location, previously suggested in an interview with Global News.

“Come and see us, because we have had a relationship for five years. Then we will take you to this HART center and make sure you can get started there.”

The government said more than 80 groups had expressed interest by the September 21 deadline, but that groups that have not expressed interest can formally apply to run a Heart Hub by mid-October.

© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.