Community Outreach Centre operations could move as early as Saturday
Project is on track to meet 'move within 60 days' promise
P.E.I. Housing Minister Rob Lantz says the province's Community Outreach Centre could move to its new Park Street location as early as Saturday.
He says work has ramped up on site this week ahead of an inspection scheduled for Friday, which will determine whether the new location gets an occupancy permit.
"It's a monumental effort. [There's] a lot of tradespeople on site right now, it's still very much a construction site," Lantz told CBC News on Tuesday.
"I think this is a good move. It's going to help us serve this population better and give us a chance to take a look at how we deliver these services, both here in the city and across the province."
Lantz said if they don't get the occupancy permit upon first inspection, it will only delay the move by a day or two.
Promise to relocate upheld
The provincial government promised the centre would move within 60 days of getting approval from the city, and it is on track to meet that target.
The Adventure Group will remain as the operator of the service in its new location.
The new space is made up of 14 modular units, which were delivered to the parking lot near the Park Street Emergency Shelter last month.
Lantz said the province and The Adventure Group will continue to work together to refine the service, but the new Park Street location will have security, a police presence, cameras, a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol and drug use on site and a new intake process.
When asked by reporters what a "zero-tolerance" policy would mean for those living with addictions, Lantz said he'd prefer to leave those questions for the operator, but he did draw the comparison to the policies at the Park Street Emergency Shelter.
"[It is] a low barrier shelter ... you certainly cannot use on the property there, but it does not turn away people who are intoxicated," he said.
"There is some discretion involved here. We are dealing with people with addictions, but certainly disruptive behaviour, anti-social behaviour, violence, none of those things will be tolerated."
We need to build that capacity broadly across, not just the city, but the province, so these services can be accessed where they are needed and when they are needed.— Rob Lantz, P.E.I. minsiter of housing, land and communities
Lantz said a senior advisor is also preparing a report for the province on how best to administer services to Islanders with complex needs.
"We have to understand what their needs are and what sort of services they require to get their lives back on track, to put it bluntly," Lantz said.
"Some of those pathways will lead to services outside the outreach centre. And over time I think we need to build that capacity broadly across not just the city, but the province. So these services can be accessed where they are needed and when they are needed."
Lantz admits the model on Euston Street was not working and the department will strive to find something that works for both clients and nearby residents.
Minister hopes for fresh start
The move to Park Street comes after years of controversy surrounding the location on Euston.
Lantz says the province will also be vacating the current location, in the old Charlottetown curling club, but security will remain in place to prevent loitering.
Residents and elected officials have been vocal about issues they say the centre caused the neighbourhood, including trespassing, vandalism and thefts; nudity and public indecency; public intoxication and open drug use; and loose needles in surrounding streets and parks.
"We hope to get started as quickly as we can to engage the community, consult with the community, find out what it is they would like to see happen with that site," Lantz said of the old curling club.
"We'd really like it to become an amenity to the neighbourhood, something that people can be proud of. I know that people have really put up with a lot over the last couple of years there, in that surrounding area. We want to get them involved."
There is also a new resident support team to oversee the transition.
"They will be organizing over the next few days … a walkabout through the area with the operators of both the shelter and our housing navigator will be there," he said.
"We expect to have the chief of police there to walk around the property, show people in the neighborhood how it's going to operate, what measures are in place."
Lantz said that team has been in place for a few weeks and will continue to take phone calls and emails from residents.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
with files from Kerry Campbell