Hastings County has answered a call by Belleville for counselling service at its warming centre, indicating warming centres are not part of the county’s operation.
Warden Rick Phillips issued the statement in answer to a move by Belleville council this week to enquire how the county could offer counselling service at the city’s warming centre this winter.
Warden Phillips tells Quinte News the county is willing to assist Bancroft and Belleville warming centres but it is not involved in warming centre operations.
Phillips emphasizes the $30,000 cost of renovations will come from the county, from provincial-federal funding and not be part of the city’s payment to the county.
And, he cites the Home for Good housing project in Belleville as a long-term solution to this kind of problem.”
Warden Philips statement in part
“Warming centers are in my mind indicative of the larger issue that we are all grappling with. There is no doubt that across the County we need more supportive housing, like the 40-unit Home for Good facility in Belleville that we recently built and opened. As soon as we opened it in April, it was full,” said Phillips.
“This kind of housing model that brings dedicated support services directly to people where they live is one of the most effective residential housing solutions that we have, in my opinion,” stated Phillips.
“However, we cannot and should not shy away from acknowledging the fact that there are people in our communities who have serious mental health and addictions problems who cannot be housed, even in our supportive housing facilities like Home for Good. This is a major gap in the health care system that both the province and federal governments must address. People need treatment so that they can be successful in a Home for Good setting and I am calling on senior levels of government to close the treatment gap, so that we can really help these individuals better thrive in our communities,” said Phillips.
“So as we help Belleville, Bancroft and perhaps other municipalities with the immediate need for a warming center this winter, let’s all re-double our efforts to develop more projects like Home for Good as a long-term solution to this important supportive housing issue,” concluded Phillips.
