Barrie’s elected official are asking Simcoe County to back efforts to secure a homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hub in the city.
In a unanimous vote, members of city council approved a direct motion calling on the county council to submit an application for Barrie to become home to a new, holistic treatment centre for homeless people seeking to break the cycle of addiction. The motion was moved by Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson and Councillor Ann-Marie Kungl.
In August, the provincial government announced a $378 million plan to open 19 HART hubs across Ontario. These facilities provide homeless people struggling with addiction with shelter and treatment as well as help seeking employment and access to other social services.
“It’s not actually the City of Barrie that will be receiving the funding. Inside the funding application, it actually specifies that it’s the service provider that receives the funding, which is, in this case, the County of Simcoe,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall.
Applications from cities seeking to house HART hubs must be submitted to the province by Oct. 18. According to provincial guidelines, city councils seeking to establish hubs should pass motions of council in support of their creation.
Should the province back Barrie’s efforts, Simcoe would be provided with $6.3 million each year to fund the facility until 2028.
