Residential treatment and recovery site opens in Hamilton

The new residential treatment and recovery site operated by Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub is set to open today in Hamilton.

The centre has garnered mixed community reaction since plans to house it in a former residential building on Aberdeen Avenue were announced last summer.

On a CHCH Newsmakers podcast episode in May, Dr. Sandy Ezepue from Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre (HUCCHC) said there was extensive consultation with community partners.

“We’ve worked closely with local elected officials, like our councillors and MPP just to keep them informed. And from the onset we’ve worked closely with the City of Hamilton as well, just in terms of getting the permits for the facility…,” Dr. Ezepue said.

But shortly after the news that the site would be located at 276 Aberdeen Ave., Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson said she was surprised to learn about the initiative.

In a letter to her constituents dated August of last year, the Ward 1 councillor said: “My surprise stems from the limited information available about the program and its deliverables, as well as whether the undefined program can operate effectively at its identified future location.”

She wrote that she attempted to engage with HUCCHC and reached out to various City of Hamilton departments regarding specifics, but that meetings confirmed that the City has no recourse or control over the site, and that the matter is solely within the province’s jurisdiction.

HART Hubs were established by the province to replace consumption and treatment services such as safe injection sites that wrapped up operations last month, which prompted criticism from harm-reduction advocates.

Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre has said there will be round-the-clock staffing at the Aberdeen Avenue location, including security guards, nurses and physicians.