Officials provide details for Sudbury’s HART hub

Greater Sudbury is receiving $6.5M annually from the province to operate a homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hub.

Greater Sudbury is receiving $6.5 million annually from the province to operate a homelessness and addiction recovery treatment (HART) hub.

City officials confirmed Tuesday there will be two locations in the city with several community partners offering services.

“We are just delighted with the funding because if not it would have fell on municipal tax dollars to provide basically health services,” said Mayor Paul Lefebvre.

“But now the province has stepped in to provide the health services through HSN and certainly the city because we own the building ... We are collaborating with them to provide these services as well as other organizations.”

City officials met with the media in a common room of the Lorraine Street Transitional housing complex on Tuesday where finishing touches are being put on the new build.

It will offer transitional housing for 40 people and will also be a HART hub.

“The HART hub will provide a number of services specific to supportive housing, for example,” said Tyler Campbell, Sudbury’s director of children and social services.

“It will provide services all the way from addiction support, primary health care, psychiatric care here at Lorraine Street for up to 40 individuals. It will also include a centralized hub in the downtown core which will provide access to services in a one-stop shop for individuals that are experiencing homelessness.”

Officials said the timeline for the downtown hub has yet to be determined.

The Lorraine Street facility cost $12 million to build with funding from the CMHC rapid housing initiative and the city.

Officials said the building will be mortgage-free when it opens.

“The timeline occupancy is spring so approximately April and this building is a transitional supportive housing building,” said Cindi Briscoe, manager of housing services.

“So, there will be programming for mental health and addictions running out of this building 24/7.”

Officials said the goal of the HART hub is to connect people living with homelessness and addiction who have complex needs to comprehensive treatment and preventative services.