Ontario Opening Homelessness and Addiction Recovery TreatmentHub in Durham Region
January 28, 2025
DURHAM REGION — The Ontario government is helping create safer communities and
supporting people struggling with addiction and mental health issues in Durham Region by
building a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub. This new hub is
part of the province’s plan to support safer communities by investing $529 million to create a
total of 27 HART Hubs across the province while also banning drug injection sites from
operating within 200 metres of schools and licensed child-care centres.
“The new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub situated within the
Region of Durham, will prioritize community safety and focus on giving people their lives back
through treatment and recovery,” said Whitby MPP Lorne Coe and Parliamentary Assistant to
Premier Ford. “The new HART Hubs are a next step in the vision first outlined in the Roadmap
to Wellness and expanded on in the Addictions Recovery Fund to provide the substantial
regional resources that are needed to keep our communities safe.”
“This new HART Hub is a significant achievement for the Region of Durham,” said Peter
Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge. “Under the leadership of Premier Ford this historic
$529 million investment by our government will provide life-changing services in Durham Region
to help people regain stability and rebuild their futures.”
Durham Community Health Centre (DCHC) will serve as the lead agency for the new HART
Hub, in partnership with the Regional Municipality of Durham.
“We are incredibly honoured that Durham Community Health Centre has been chosen as the
lead agency, in partnership with the Regional Municipality of Durham, for the HART Hub in
Durham Region,” said Francis Garwe, CEO at Durham Community Health Centre. “At DCHC we
have a deep commitment to the health and wellness of unsheltered individuals living throughout
Durham Region and we are uniquely equipped to support those struggling with addiction and
mental health issues. For years, the medical and outreach members of our Unsheltered Health
& Wellness Team have worked closely together to improve the well-being and day-to-day
situations of unsheltered individuals in our community. The HART Hub will be a wonderful way
for us to expand our reach and have an even larger impact within the unsheltered community
throughout Durham Region.”
“The new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub here in Durham
Region will be a cornerstone of support for those struggling with addiction and mental health
challenges,” said Patrice Barnes, MPP of Ajax. “By focusing on treatment and recovery, this hub
will help individuals regain control of their lives while ensuring our community remains
supported. This initiative reflects our commitment to providing meaningful resources and
compassionate care to those who need it most.”
“Compassionate care is central to our approach, and our province is dedicated to partnering
with municipalities to deliver impactful resources in the fight against addiction. This initiative
helps protect communities while supporting individuals in reclaiming their lives and achieving
lasting recovery” said Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham. “Durham Region’s HART Hub, similar to existing hub models in Ontario that have successfully provided people with care, will reflect regional priorities by connecting people with complex needs to comprehensive treatment and preventative services.”
Planning efforts to create theHART Hub in Durham Region are underway and the proposed services to be offered could include:
• Primary care and health education
• Mental health and addiction services including treatment
• Mental health and addictions supportive housing
• Employment and income support
“Our government is helping more people get the treatment and support they need, when and
where they need it, by taking the next step to improve access to mental health and addictions
services,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Our investment to create a
total of 27 new HART Hubs will keep communities safe and ensure timely and comprehensive
access to mental health support, addiction care, primary care, supportive housing, and
employment services, no matter where you live.”
The 18 new HART hubs locations, including in Durham Region, were chosen as a result of a
provincewide call for proposals last summer. All HART Hubs will have the goal of being
operational by April 1, 2025. Earlier this year, the province announced that 9 drug injection sites
in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, Guelph and Thunder Bay that are required to close due
to being located within 200 metres of a school or licensed child-care centres have been
approved for transition to a HART Hub. This brings the total number of HART Hubs across the
province to 27, 8 more than initially planned.
“We are investing more than any government in Ontario’s history to create a nation-leading
system of mental health and addictions care,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental
Health and Addictions. “The new HART Hubs will give people struggling with addiction the
support and treatment services they need to achieve lasting recovery.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care and building on the Roadmap
to Wellness, the province is taking action to connect individuals to integrated mental health and
addictions services, where and when they need it.
QUICK FACTS
• To address the unique needs of communities across the province, Ontario is adding an
additional 8 HART Hubs to the initial number earmarked, bringing the total to 27 new
HART Hubs.
• The creation of HART Hubs is being done in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Ministry of Children, Community and
Social Services, and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills
Development.
• With a focus on treatment and recovery, HART Hubs will not offer so-called safer supply,
supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs.
• Through the Community Care and Recovery Act, 2024, the province has prohibited
municipalities and local boards from applying to Health Canada for an exemption for the
decriminalization of drugs. The Act also prohibits municipalities and local boards from
applying to Health Canada for funding or entering into an agreement with Health Canada
in respect of safer supply services or applying for an exemption or renewal of an
exemption to operate a supervised consumption site, without prior provincial approval.
• Through the Roadmap to Wellness, Ontario is investing $3.8 billion over 10 years to fill
gaps in mental health and addictions care, create new services and expand programs.
• Through the Roadmap to Wellness, the Addictions Recovery Fund and other initiatives,
the government recently made the following investments:
o $124 million over the next three years as part of Budget 2024 to sustain more
than 380 addiction recovery beds and models of treatment like mobile mental
health clinics.
o $152 million over three years for supportive housing to assist individuals facing
unstable housing conditions and experiencing mental health and addictions
challenges.
o More than $22 million over four years to create 10 new Youth Wellness Hubs that
the government is adding to the network of 22 hubs already opened since 2020,
bringing the total number of Youth Wellness Hubs to 32 across the province.
o More than $650 million in annual funding for the Homelessness Prevention
Program and $41.5 million for the Indigenous Supportive House Program, which
the government increased by $202 million annually in the 2023 provincial budget.
o Up to $16 million to support Police-Partnered Mobile Crisis Response Teams in
over 50 communities across the province so that health care professionals can
attend crisis situations.
o Over $60 million in annual funding to support Indigenous-led mental health,
addictions and well-being supports that will help individuals, families and
communities heal from the impacts of intergenerational trauma and colonization
through culturally safe and responsive programs and services that are designed
and delivered by and for Indigenous people.
QUOTES
“We are grateful to the province for investing in a HART Hub in the Region of Durham. The new
hub will improve outcomes for vulnerable residents through compassionate care, programs and
services.”
– John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer for The Regional Municipality of
Durham
I have been committed to finding recovery-based solutions for those who are in need in our
communities. Today’s announcement of a HART Hub in Durham is another important step in
that direction as it will provide wrap-around services and recovery-based care for individuals
struggling with addiction and provide the foundation for their long-term recovery.
- Mayor Dan Carter, City of Oshawa