The centralized hub location for Lambton's Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub will open at the beginning of November.
Lambton HART Hub Project Manager Tim Heath shared the news during a progress update held over ZOOM on Wednesday.
"I think I speak on behalf of everyone involved in this project, when I say we are so excited to be this close to opening our doors," said Heath. "The Lambton HART Hub will be located at 210 Lochiel Street, in the current CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) Lambton-Kent office. I'm very pleased to share that construction of this space has started and we expect to open our doors to clients on November 3, 2025."
Heath said people will be able to access integrated care at the location, including; primary care, addiction services and recovery supports, housing services and mental health care.
"We will also provide the ability for people to access basic needs, such as personal hygiene, food security and income supports," Heath said. "Outreach throughout Lambton County from this centralized hub will continue to be mobile care. The HART Hub funding will enable us to expand the hours of operation, and add new locations from which to deliver care from mobile care."
Heath said the layout of the centralized location is designed to be open, so the building has been remodeled.
"In that space we have services for mental health, addiction services, County of Lambton providing some housing services and we'll have a full kitchen in that space as well. We're working on building showers in our current washrooms that are there, and some laundry facilities in that same space as well. So, one big space with a lot of different things happening to help meet [an individual's] basic needs and get them engaged with us, so we can try to get them in treatment and move them along on their path," said Heath.
CMHA Lambton-Kent incoming CEO Gerry Glover said CMHA staff will move to the County of Lambton Shared Services building at Christina and George Streets.
Bluewater Health CEO Paula Reaume-Zimmer said their transitional housing facility, at the former Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School (SCITS) building on Wellington Street, is the second piece of the local HART Hub model.
"This will provide 30 beds for individuals to stay up to 18 months," Reaume-Zimmer said. "We're very excited to move into the space and we're hoping for it to open in late November."
The final piece of the HART Hub model is supportive housing, which County of Lambton Social Services General Manager Melissa Fitzpatrick said is "critical" to an individuals "long term success in housing stability."
The group said it is working closely with Westover Treatment Centre for ongoing treatment programs and Indwell on its supportive housing project to be built on George Street.
The Ontario government is providing $5 million annually for each of the next three years to run the HART Hub.
Sarnia-Lambton Ontario Health Team Executive Lead Nadine Neve said there are approximately 300 people experiencing homelessness throughout Lambton County right now, with addiction cited as the leading cause of housing loss.
"Nearly 80 per cent of those experiencing homelessness report substance use, and two thirds live with mental health challenges," said Neve. "The longer someone remains unhoused, the more complex their needs become. The demand for withdrawal management services continues to exceed capacity every month. People seeking help are often turned away, not because they don't qualify, but because there are simply not enough beds."
North Lambton Community Health Centre Nurse Practitioner Cheryl DeGroot said the centralized hub will alleviate some of the barriers individuals currently face.
"It's welcoming, there's no stigmatization and people can access a variety of services all in one stop. Withdrawal management, many of the people have mental health issues -- a lot of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) just from living on the streets and probably even prior to being there -- primary care, which is also important, because many of these people have a lot of health issues," said DeGroot.
