A pamphlet making the rounds in a north-end Barrie neighbourhood is raising concerns about the County of Simcoe possibly purchasing property on Blake Street as the potential site for a homelessness and addiction recovery treatment (HART) hub.
The pamphlet suggests there is a "pending site selection" at 429 and 445 Blake St., near Penetanguishene Road, to be used for these facilities, which could also include the potential relocation of the county’s temporary Rose Street shelter.
The 2.8-acre property, which still had a large 'for sale' sign out front as of Wednesday afternoon, is the former home to the Coates Fine Cars dealership and had been listed for $6.75 million. However, the online listing for the property is no longer available.
The goal of the HART hubs, according to the provincial government, is to “serve the community’s complex service needs, including homelessness, substance use and mental health concerns.”
In addition to offering services to support the treatment and recovery of individuals with needs relating to mental health, addiction, primary care, employment and social services, the HART hubs will also offer a direct route to supportive housing.
The neighbourhood pamphlet says there's been a "troubling absence of oversight" around the plan.
"This site isn’t even well-suited for the very clientele the facility aims to serve," it says. "Although it is close to the hospital (Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre), it lacks services (and) it is on the edge of Barrie, far from the key resources.”
Coun. Clare Riepma, who represents Ward 1 on Barrie city council, says that although he did not personally receive one of the pamphlets at his door, one of his constituents did pass along a copy.
As of right now, though, he said there has been nothing confirmed about when — or where — such facilities could be located.
“We have a homelessness and drug problem in the city of Barrie,” said Riepma, noting the province is giving money for several potential HART hubs. "The County of Simcoe is submitting an application for that money. We have no idea whether the County of Simcoe will be successful … and so far, the county has said nothing about where, or if, one of these would be located.
"Anything that has to do with speculating about where these might be, is just that — speculation," he added.
Riepma said the pamphlet has definitely stirred up some concerns from residents in his east-end ward, but he’s asking them not to get too far ahead of themselves.
“It’s one person who has jumped to some conclusion," he said. "I have responded to quite a few of those folks who have sent their concerns to me and told them … the county is going to apply for funding from the province, (which) is not guaranteed. The county has made no commitment with respect to where it’s going to be located. It could be in Bradford ... but we are hoping we will get it in Barrie, because we probably have more of the problem than anybody else.
“This is something the county is doing and we need to hear from the county on what they are planning," the councillor added. "Certainly, we haven’t heard anything from the county and this is all pure speculation.”
Mina Fayez-Bahgat, the county’s general manager of social and community services, said it is working to confirm new location details related to the modular buildings currently located at the Rose Street property. He said they will release more information with to public about the temporary modular buildings and their temporary use in the coming weeks, as a part of the county’s upcoming winter response and affordable supportive housing strategy.
As for the HART hub submission, Fayez-Bahgat said the new provincial program is in line with the county’s strategy for addressing homelessness in the region.
“Since launching our 10-point homelessness prevention strategy in July 2023, the county has been making significant investments and enhancements to social and community services programs in Barrie and across the region," he stated in an email to BarrieToday.
"Through the county's 10-point homelessness prevention strategy, two of the pillars we have created include improving safety and well-being and creating easier ways to access services for those experiencing homelessness,” Fayez-Bahgat added.
The county has not yet applied and is in the process of developing an application, noted Fayez-Bahgat, adding they hope to submit the application Friday.
“The location(s) for this project are not yet fully determined,” he said.
Riepma said that no matter where either facility ends up being located, he anticipates there will be concerns.
“They have to be located properly and much depends on how it’s operated," he said. "Don’t forget that this HART hub is a rehabilitation facility with transitional housing, so there’s an awful lot of support involved in it and I think it all depends on how it’s run.
"I would expect it would be operated very professionally,” Riepma added. “I think the concern is that this would end up being a shelter. We tend not to have good experiences with shelters in the downtown area, (but) this is far from a shelter. I think the whole experience would be quite different.”
Even though such facilities may be needed in a community, the Ward 1 councillor said he can "respect" that some people may not want to see them located in their neighbourhood.
“I think it all has to do with where it’s located. If it’s located properly and operated properly, I think the community would be receptive to it. Clearly, if it isn’t, there will be a lot of discussion," Riepma said.
Depending on where either of the facilities end up, there could be the need for rezoning, added Riepma, which would then include community involvement and could take upwards of a year to accomplish.
“I encourage people not to jump to conclusions yet. Let’s deal with the facts and the fact is the county is the one that is spearheading this, not the city," he said. "The other fact is they’re applying for the money, but they haven’t gotten in. If they haven’t gotten the money, then there’s nothing going to happen.”
A public neighbourhood meeting was scheduled for Oct. 15, however, according to the city's website, it was cancelled because the applicant was no longer proceeding with the proposal for 445 Blake St.
The province has said it will invest $378 million during the next three years to support the creation of 19 HART hubs — 10 of which are being implemented through a call for proposals now.
The ministry will fund these 10 new hubs through a budget of $6.3 million per year, per hub, beginning 2025-26 to 2027-28, and with $1.8 million per hub to support one-time startup and implementation costs.
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