Simcoe County HART Hub nears first year as officials showcase program

Dignitaries gathered in Barrie to highlight the impact of the Homeless Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub of Simcoe County as the program closes in on one year of operation.

The event took place at 24 Maple Ave., where local officials and invited guests discussed the program’s collaborative approach, with multiple access points and pathways aimed at addressing homelessness, addiction and mental-health challenges.

Those in attendance included Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall, Barrie police Chief Rich Johnston, Mina Fayez-Baghat, Simcoe County’s general manager of social and community services, and Katie Drake, manager of the HART Hub, among others.

The HART Hub is a regional network providing homelessness and addiction recovery support, bringing together organizations to deliver coordinated services.

Funded by the Ontario government, the initiative was announced in January 2025 and rolled out in phases. Operating at roughly $6.3 million a year, the program has seen about 100 people complete recovery, with hundreds more receiving support.

Nuttall said more affordable housing options are needed across the county.

“We need additional, affordable housing available for these individuals to not just get past the addiction for just a day or a month or six months or a year, but to have a meaningful hope and opportunity moving forward,” he said.

Nuttall added that initiatives like the HART Hub reflect the type of approach needed across Ontario.

“We need to change the approach in Ontario that focuses on making rehabilitative services, support services, mental health services readily available day in and day out inside of the communities that are struggling with massive addiction and mental health and homelessness,” he said.

Drake said the program’s impact is best understood by seeing the work firsthand.

“The true story of the HART of Simcoe County is told best by the people who deliver those services every day and by seeing the experiences of their work up close,” she said.

Program supports include live-in treatment, community services, supportive housing, primary care and dedicated Indigenous care pathways, connecting clients with culturally specific supports.