King guarantees new homeless center ‘will not come anywhere near the school’

The District of Nipissing is seeking to become one of the first 10 Homelessness and Addiction Treatment Services (HART) in Ontario, with an annual budget of $6.3 million, including $1.3 million annually for supportive housing and $1.8 million for center for one-time support -up and costs

During a recent after-school visit to Chippewa Street West to learn more about the school board’s installation of noise-making anti-loitering devices at the high school, within minutes of arriving BayToday encountered several cases of social disorder, all of which were on display for Chippewa students and their families as they left the property at dusk through the north parking lot after sports team practices and other after-school programs.

While waiting for the low-barrier shelter to open in the evening, customers descended on the Northern Pines property. Some came from the Walking Bridge, some came from downtown via Cassells Street, and some just appeared out of nowhere, as if they were waiting in the nearby bushes. Most were mumbling or talking to themselves. Some were screaming. Everyone was milling along the road like they were arguing between the fences at Northern Pines and Chippewa.

One of the men argued with a woman, threw his scooter as far as he could onto the school grounds, retrieved it and fled, while two hired security guards from Northern Pines warned him against further outbursts or risk losing his shelter spot for the night. Guards followed the man along Chippewa West (see photo above), while another security guard hired by the Near North District School Board kept watch over the school grounds while clients at the low-barrier shelter were admitted or turned away.

For those keeping score, this short stretch of Chippewa Street West is cordoned off to the north, a $611,000 fence now surrounds the high school, the school board has installed anti-loitering devices and security cameras at the school, and three people are keeping watch over Northern Pines and the school property at least for part of the day. There’s no denying that these community members need help, but it’s safe to say that transient traffic between sleeping quarters and essential services has been a problem for the area for some time.

PODCAST: King on the homeless center, warming center and Chippewa

Nipissing County Community Services Administrative Board Chairman Mark King describes ongoing issues regarding the operation of the Northern Pines Low Barrier Shelter, proximity to several schools and day care facilities – especially Chippewa Middle and High School directly across the street from the shelter – interactions at nearby facilities for seniors and members of the neighboring community as “complicated”.

King, once a staunch supporter of running the shelter on Chippewa Street West, has relented and changed his stance. He now guarantees that any new center offering services to the homeless community “will not come close to the school.”

The DNSSAB Board recently spoke publicly about its combined service partner application to become one of the first 10 Homelessness and Addiction Treatment (HART) centers in Ontario. This is a funding stream made available by the provincial government for projects such as the permanent 24-hour shelter and housing center that has been in the works for the past six months. The application is complete and has been sent.

Designating a HART center would provide funding for a permanent space that offers supportive housing, as well as connections to other needed social and health services, as well as accommodation services. Several months ago, DNSSAB engaged a real estate agent to scout potential locations that would meet the needs of the proposed center, which includes at least 4,000 square feet of space, within walking distance of downtown North Bay where other community services are located, or easily accessible to other services .

According to Ontario Ministry of Health documents regarding HART concentrators“The intention is for the hubs to be operational by winter 2025 and for each hub to be able to provide low-barrier access to a range of locally identified services that best meet the complex needs of individuals experiencing a range of overlapping issues and marginalization, including homelessness; mental health challenges; social support needs and unemployment;

The operational timeline may prove a bit challenging, but there was discussion about the HART Hub application at the DNSSAB Board meeting on Wednesday, October 23. King, in his remarks opening the meeting, saluted DNSSAB staff, as well as staff from the North Bay Canadian Medical Health Association and District, the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, and the North Bay Crisis Center for their efforts.

“Work on the application took a short time, but the results are good,” King told DNSSAB CAO Melanie Shaye.

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Later in her report to the Board, Shaye added: “I would like to thank the entire housing team for their work on the application, as well as senior staff at CMHA and the North Bay Crisis Center. I think this is an example of community spirit that we really want to move this topic forward. We were very pleased with the number of letters of support and we look forward to it and appreciate MPP’s interest in the application, so keep your fingers crossed.

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The center’s concept remains essentially the same as what was discussed at the DNSSAB special board meeting in late July. King promised that consultations would take place with various stakeholders and the community at large before any center was established.

“We went out to the community,” King says, “at this special meeting to hear from everyone and see what their reaction was, and part of the problem was the original housing proposal, which was suggested a block or two from downtown Well, it became obviously that’s not what the community wanted, so I would suggest that at this stage, depending on property availability, it would be well outside the core, and that’s what we’re working on.

AND: Will public consultations silence the noise of the “homeless center”?

King says DNSSAB is exploring options to fund the new center itself.

“It’s complicated. We have a lot of pressure on us because of the low barrier shelter and transitional development in Northern Pines. There is a movement brewing to get rid of the low barrier shelter in this location. So the thought process was that we would move the low-barrier shelter to a facility somewhere else, away from the school. And then the provincial government recognized that there was probably some value in funding these centers as long as they had community support.

“So this provincial financing solution was targeted at all types of communities. For example, in Timmins they are currently working on theirs. They bought a hotelbelieve it or not. So, I mean, our process is we’re in line. We are hopeful that we will be able to do so as it would provide money to continue the entire process, firstly, to relocate the low barrier shelter and place it in another fully serviced location away from the school. “

If funding isn’t approved, King isn’t sure what will happen to the North Bay center project. “It really depends on potential funding. However, if this does not happen and funding is not received, I am sure the inquiry will go back to DNSSAB to see if we can find money for basic support. , we don’t know if this is a realistic situation, it still needs to be determined because we don’t know what the actual costs will be.”

After a special meeting in July, a DNSSAB release stated that “there is no ideal location” for an interchange, and “locations not considered ideal are areas immediately adjacent to elementary schools, splash pads, splash pads, licensed child care centers, or adjacent residential interior.”

When asked if he would share potential locations for a potential hub, King did not do so for fear of disrupting negotiations.

As the DNSSAB stated in July: “None of the locations currently under investigation can be shared as it may impact negotiations on any property under consideration, however communication with neighbors and the community will occur once the board has made a decision and they are able to provide more information “