Bancroft Mayor Paul Jenkins along with Tweed Mayor Don DeGenova, want to know if communities north of Belleville will benefit.
At Tuesdays Hastings County council meeting, Jenkins expressed appreciation for the funding while also noting that the news releases had been focused on the Belleville Hart Hub, which is where the new treatment centre in the region will be built.
“The only disappointing thing is, all the announcements just referred to Belleville… So I just hope we keep our focus on how this is going to go throughout the county and help other areas in need as well. ”
DeGenova echoed the importance of not forgetting the need in the north.
“Is there going to be sufficient housing available other than through Hart Hub to address what we’re experiencing in Bancroft for example? Or the communities just South of Bancroft?”
Hastings County CAO Connor Dorey says where all the funds will go is ‘undefined’ at this point and the funding program is “layered”.
“Some of the funds that are through this program will go to supportive housing units. I’m not certain that those units are clearly identified in terms of location at this point, but it’s a very layered program. We have the Hart Hub, we have supportive housing units and then some of those outreach efforts as well.”
The creation of HART Hubs is 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.
The Ontario government says that HART Hubs will focus on treatment and recovery and not offer ‘safer supply’, supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs.
The announcement of the funding from the Ontario government comes on the heels of the recently called provincial election Feb. 27.
