Chatham-Kent council is exploring the creation of a municipally supported recovery home and expanded emergency housing options following two reports that identified major gaps in addiction treatment and housing services.
The new motions were in response to the report on the rising need for emergency housing and lack of addiction treatment options brought over from the March 23 meeting,
Councillor Ryan Doyle requested further information on creating a municipally supported home modeled after Ryan’s House in Sarnia.
“I think putting money into recovery and stuff like that would be much more utilized and help people get off the streets and back on their feet and back to normal living,” said Doyle.
Ryan’s House is the name of Bluewater Health’s residential withdrawal management facility serving as a second stage, 30 day recovery program for individuals transitioning from acute detox.
The report referenced from the Director of Public Health highlighted the huge gaps between services like detox and an early recovery program.
“There is nowhere for people to go because we don’t have a phase two withdrawal management program,” said Doyle.
Council voted unanimously for staff to create a report that would outline potential options for the municipality to partner with the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance on creating a home of facility from existing municipally owned properties, including the costs associated with the potential project, potential funding sources, locations, and how a partnership would work with a health care provider.
Councillor Rhonda Jubenville’s new motion asking for staff to create a report regarding the operation of low barrier emergency housing was also voted through unanimously.
“I think there are a group of people that live here in Chatham-Kent that don’t qualify to live in the cabins, and who could potentially live in the encampment but if there was emergency housing they might utilize it,” said Jubenville.
