Two Ottawa community health centres have announced their intention to open Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs to support people experiencing homelessness and addiction. The Somerset West Community Health Centre in downtown Ottawa and the Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Centre in the city's west end announced they submitted applications to the Ministry of Health last month to open a HART hub. The Somerset West Centre on 55 Eccles St.
was one of 10 sites identified by the province that would be required to close its supervised consumption site because it is within 200 metres of a school or child care centre. The site would have had to close its safe consumption services by March 31, 2025. Sites listed as safe consumption sites were exempt from a call-for-proposals launched by the province and were asked to submit a business transition checklist if interested in becoming a HART hub.
The Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Centre did not previously provide safe consumption services and applied under a separate "competitive" stream for non-profit health providers. Ontario says it intends to launch 19 new "homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs" – or HART hubs, as the province calls them – plus 375 highly supportive housing units at a cost of $378 million. While the sites will provide mental health services, addiction care and support, social services and employment support, shelter and transition beds, supportive housing, and other supp.