The City of Windsor will be applying to the province for one of 19 HART hubs in Ontario.
The Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment model, or HART hub, was announced in August as a program to replace safe drug consumption sites, like SafePoint at 101 Wyandotte Street East in Windsor.
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare would be the lead agency responsible for managing and distributing the finances for Windsor's program, which would work with community partners to focus on treatment and recovery rather than supervised drug consumption.
The city must submit its application by Oct. 18 and, if approved, up to $6.3 million in operating funds could be directed to Windsor, along with over $1.3 million for one-time construction and startup costs, and $1.3 million for supportive housing units.
Windsor's commissioner of human and health services Andrew Daher says HART is going to provide a pathway for individuals who are experiencing homelessness.
"To get off the street, and if they're ready to get into some kind of recovery or treatment center, that's what this model will do," he says.
Daher says there isn't a pathway for people coming out of the hospital, the jail system, or the Homelessness and Housing Help Hub to go into some sort of supportive housing.
"Where this model will be really effective, and assuming they want to receive the services and supports, is that this will give them a pathway now," he says. "There will be a bed, there will be units available so someone can get the services and supports they need, and they're not discharged back to the street."
Daher,says the timeline is tight.
"This model has to be effective Winter 2025. I don't know if that's January or March, but it will be sometime early 2025 that it has to be up and operational," he says.
The government will invest at total of $378 million in 19 new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs.
The hubs will be designed to provide people with comprehensive treatment and preventative services, including primary care, mental health services, addiction care and support, social services and employment support, shelter and transition beds, supportive housing, and other supplies and services, including naloxone, onsite showers, and food.