Kitchener, Guelph CTS sites among 9 officially being transitioned into HART hubs

The Ontario government has announced that it has approved the creation of nine Homelessness and Addictions Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs, with Kitchener and Guelph sites being among them. 

These HART hubs are a transition away from consumption and treatment services (CTS) locations that are within 200 metres of schools and licensed child-care centres. CTS sites that are too close to these areas are now illegal, and cannot move or reopen in another part of the community. 

This is part of the Ontario government's $378 million investment in creating a total of 19 hubs across the province, which has been a source of debate for many. 

These hubs do not offer safer supply, supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs and are a part of the Community Care and Recovery Act 2024 and the Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act. 

In a release Thursday, the Ontario government quoted Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones in saying that they are working toward investing as much money as possible in mental health and addictions care that works for the community. 

"We have heard loud and clear from families across Ontario that drug injection sites near schools and child-care centres are making our communities less safe," she said. 

So far, by March 31, 2025 there will be nine HART hubs, located in Guelph, Hamilton, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Kitchener and four in Toronto.

What to expect

The release also outlined what's being offered at these HART hubs by region. 

Guelph-Wellington's HART hub, located at 176 Wyndham Street North, will work with adults and youth aged 16 and older who have mental health and/or addictions challenges and require support for experiencing homelessness, being at risk or requiring supportive housing. 

It will include what's called an Intensive Housing and Treatment Team and Integrated Crisis Centre, which will include a 24/7 integrated crisis service, crisis stabilization beds, and withdrawal management beds. 

Kitchener's HART hub, on 44 Francis Street South will include mental health services, addiction care and support, shelter and transition beds, supportive housing, social services, ID and employment. They are working with locations where HART hub's "target population already gathers" in order to create naloxone and satellite hubs. 

The release also mentions that "local partnerships have been leveraged" to make transitional and supportive housing units available for HART hub clients where they can.

Each site, the government release said, is being built to "reflect regional priorities" and will garner more opportunities for funding — potentially up to four times more funding from the province than previously as a CTS site. 

Each site will also receive one time funding for the cost of starting up.

Shortly after the Ontario government's release, Ontario Greens Deputy Leader and Kitchener Centre MPP Aislinn Clancy spoke out about HART hubs. In a release, she said while she's grateful for the funding toward Kitchener's HART hub, cuts to harm reduction via CTS closures will do more harm than anything.

"People are not going to stop using drugs simply because we take harm reduction services away or threaten jail time," she said. "When CTS sites close, we're only going to see more public drug use, more infectious disease spread and more drug poisonings showing up in our ERs."