Windsor city council has received its first detailed update on the Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub, offering an early look at how the provincially funded program is functioning four months after opening. Kevin Matte, director of crisis and addiction services at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, said Monday some people have already moved through the program into permanent housing. “When you’re working with homelessness and addiction, they’re very complex issues,” he said. “And so that’s huge success for us.” The Windsor-Essex HART Hub opened in early October as part of a three-year provincial pilot focused on addiction treatment, stabilization and housing supports. The local program is built around 23 new supportive addictions treatment beds -- including 16 at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, with additional beds at partner agencies. The model also includes transitional housing units and rent supplements intended to support up to 108 individuals in permanent housing following completion of treatment. Officials told council approximately 60 to 80 individuals have entered the program in some capacity so far. Of those, four to five clients have already been permanently housed with supports in place, three are currently living in transitional housing and several additional clients are expected to transition in the coming weeks. “It makes me happy that some clients are finding results and are able to change their life,” Matte said. “That’s why we do this work — to help people.” Monday’s presentation outlined the hub’s approach as a coordinated system bringing multiple service providers together. Partners include health care, primary care, mental health supports, peer support, case management and housing services, aimed at reducing gaps between treatment and long-term stability. “I think what’s working is the true partnership with the six or seven service providers we have coming under one roof,” said Matte. The HART Hub model is part of a broader provincial shift toward abstinence-based treatment and recovery programs, rather than supervised consumption or safe supply sites. During discussion, councillors raised concerns about access and timing, noting the hub is already operating with a wait list. Several, including Mayor Drew Dilkens, stressed that delays can be especially damaging when someone is ready to seek treatment. “If there is someone who needs treatment and they’re opening up to accept treatment, you’ve got to take advantage of that right away. “You can’t give them a ticket and say, come back in six weeks,” he told media following Monday’s meeting. “By dinnertime, you’ll have lost them to another round of crystal meth or whatever it is they’re doing.” Council ultimately voted to receive the update and recommended staff and service providers return before the one-year mark with a further report, which is expected to include more detailed data on outcomes, demand and system pressures. The HART Hub program is currently funded as a three-year pilot, with future expansion or changes expected to depend on performance data and provincial decisions.
