A Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub is coming to Belleville.
Bay of Quinte MPP Tyler Allsopp made the announcement in council chambers at Belleville City Hall on Monday.
The announcement is part of a greater provincial announcement that would see 18 new HART Hubs coming to Ontario, bringing the total number to 27.
For the Belleville site at 1 Alhambra Square, the province will be providing $6.3 million in funding a year for three years.
It came after a proposal that would see the Belleville Quinte West Community Health Centre, John Howard Society, Enrichment Centre for Mental Health, Canadian Mental Health Association HPE, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, United Way Hastings & Prince Edward, and Grace Inn Shelter all working together to run the facility.
“The application that was submitted has been fully approved, so the funding that was requested will be flowing. So we’re very excited to have that commitment from the provincial government,” Allsopp tells media after the press conference.
Lisa Ali (l) of the Canadian Mental Health Association HPE and Brandi Hodge (r) of the United Way Hastings Prince Edward as part of the announcement of HART Hub funding, January 27, 2025. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
Speaking to those in attendance, Lisa Ali of the Canadian Mental Health Association HPE highlighted what the funding for the HART Hub will bring for services.
“This funding will enable us to take bold steps,” Ali said in her speech.
“It specifically will launch the integrated care hub in Belleville, complementing the significant contribution by the City of Belleville to operationalize the plans at Alhambra square, it will create community outreach and rapid response teams that consist of a paramedic and a mental health and addictions worker to serve rural and under-served areas across the counties. Finally, we’ll open 22 new supportive transitional housing units that, for individuals in need, will offer a safe and stable environment for their recovery journey.”
The hope is to have the new HART Hub in Belleville running by around April 1, 2025.
