Criteria revealed for 15 homeless hubs to be located in London, Ont.

A report obtained by CTV News London provides the recommended criteria for locating and operating new service hubs for Londoners living unsheltered.

The Hubs Implementation Plan is a report headed to a council committee next week as part of the Whole of Community Response to Homelessness that aims to create 15 service hubs and 600 supportive housing units.

The purpose of the low barrier facilities is described by the report as, “Hubs exist to help the highest acuity individuals move safely indoors, stabilize, access supports and become sustainably housed.”

The criteria for locating hubs do not contain specific setback distances regarding their proximity to different land uses.

It recommends that hubs be “near” arterial roads and transit routes.

However, it is also recommended that they not be located in “close proximity” to elementary schools, splash pads/wading pools, or the interior of residential neighbourhoods.

As well, a service hub should not be “directly adjacent” to licenced childcares or city parks.

The urgency to open the first three to five service hubs before the end of this year (90 to 150 new beds) requires them to be located within existing buildings with emergency care establishment zoning.

London has 72 property zoning categories that permit the use of emergency care establishments.

The report also recommends that the first five hubs not be located in the Old East Village, on Dundas Place, or on Richmond Row.

No justification is provided in the report for excluding the three business districts.

Each hub will need about 8,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. of multi-use space, a side-entry off the street, fenced private space, greenspace for recreational activities or pets, a commercial kitchen and laundry facilities.

The functions of hubs are intended to include:

• 24/7 safe places
• Basic needs
• Community engagement
• Housing access support
• Income supports
• Integrated care planning
• Justice system services
• Medical stabilization beds
• Access to acute and primary care
• Respite beds
• Transitional beds
• Translation and interpretation
• Transportation

Regarding the use of drugs, the report suggests a continuum of harm reduction activities, “this continuum spans the breadth of known and to-be-known services from: distributing new equipment to addiction treatment.”

The first hubs will offer service to so-called “priority populations” including:

• Couples and families
• Indigenous individuals
• Medically complex individuals
• Women and female-Identifying Individuals
• Youth (16-25)

“A hub may serve one or more of these populations, or serve one population exclusively, depending on the unique needs of that population,” reads the report.

The first and most important outcome of the hubs is a decrease in preventable deaths.

Longer-term the strategy aims to lower stress on health care, emergency services and eventually make greater financial and human resources available to address other community needs.

The implementation plan for the first three to five hubs must meet an aggressive timeline to have them open before the end of this year.

Pending council’s approval of the location criteria on July 25, an expressions of interest (EOI) procurement process will be launched on the City of London website by early August.

After four weeks, city staff will lead the evaluation of the EOIs received.

Council will be asked to approve the location of the first three to five hubs in September.