Progress is often slow and elusive, but sometimes you can actually see it and when you do, you should celebrate.
That’s what’s happening today in Belleville, as the Bridge Homelessness Hub officially opens at 1 Alhambra Square, combining services offered at previous locations with a host of new ones with the single goal of helping desperate people in need.
While some people will question its cost and its purpose, it is simply one of the most targeted and important steps ever in dealing with this persistent and potentially deadly challenge.
The Hub will offer dining, washrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a resting area, a spiritual/smudging room, and several spaces for various medical and social services staff and will operate 22 hours a day, 7 days a week for a capacity of about 170 people.
Combined with the treatments being offered in a separate location, this will become a starting point for many in the journey of taking their lives back for themselves and their loved ones.
It wasn’t quick or easy, and the day to day work on site will be mentally, emotionally and physically demanding, but it’s a great start and not just for the unhoused who will use it.
Homelessness takes its toll on the entire community, with a definite impact on crime rates, drug usage, businesses, community areas like parks, our healthcare system and overall morale.
So thanks to everyone involved in this project. It’s not a solution, but in a battle as big as this, every victory counts, and in the Friendly City, some very important steps in that journey will now be taken at 1 Alhambra Square.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking beyond the Headlines.
