'We can’t wait for perfection': Local advocates respond to AG’s criticism of province’s plan to fight homelessness and addiction

Local advocates for the province’s new strategy to fight homelessness and addiction came to its defence Tuesday.

This as Ontario’s auditor general found the province did not do its homework when announcing the closure of a number of supervised consumption sites across the province and transitioning to the so-called HART hub model of addictions treatment.

“If HART hubs [are] the step that’s available to us right now, working with the provincial government, then let’s do it,” said St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston. “We can’t wait for perfection in order to get the good done in our communities. Right now, we don’t have enough detox and rehab to really deal with the opioid crisis in a curative way,” he said.

Preston was responding to auditor general Shelley Spence’s report on the province’s opioid strategy, which she says has not been updated since 2016.

“We found the ministry lacks credible and complete data about demand, supply, and outcomes of opioid addiction services,” said Spence, while releasing the report at Queens Park Tuesday.

With the Doug Ford government set to close ten supervised consumption sites by the end of March, the province is instead focusing on Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs, or HART hubs.

St. Thomas-Elgin has applied to host one of the 19 proposed sites.

St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston speaks to CTV News via Zoom on Dec. 3, 2024. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

The auditor general found the Ministry of Health did not provide an evidence-based case for the new hub model, nor did it provide impact analysis or conduct proper consultations with those who will be affected.

“They are still doing ongoing work around the risk of overdoses, etcetera, but the submission was put together for, you know, the HART hubs, which is great, but it didn’t have that detail in it yet,” said Spence.

Responding to the AG report, Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the HART hub model focuses on a pathway out of addiction.

“I’ve spoken to more facilities who are literally finding drug paraphernalia in their washrooms, on their facilities,” said the minister.

“There is no doubt that we can do better, and we will do better with these 19 HART hubs. We are enabling and investing in a model that I believe will ultimately get some hope, and getting some pathways to treatment,” Jones said.

Those on the St. Thomas-Elgin team working on the HART hub file say they’re now waiting to find out if they made the cut.

“Every day we delay things is another day someone has to live on the streets or in a shelter. So, the faster we can move forward, I think the better,” said Brian Elliot, the executive director of the Inn Out of the Cold St. Thomas Elgin.

If successful, Elliot said he hopes the local HART hub would be up and running as early as next spring.