The agency that was to operate two of London's homeless hubs, including the controversial site in the northeast end of the city, has pulled out.
Canadian Mental Health Association Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHATV) announced on Monday that it will not be continuing with its plan for hubs at a north London motel and My Sisters' Place.
"Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are no longer able to proceed with the execution of our proposal. It is with great disappointment that we announce our decision to withdraw our proposal for the Hub at 705 Fanshawe Park Road and 566 Dundas Street," the agency said in a statement.
CMHATV had been granted council approval last month for a hub with 20 transitional beds for women at the current Lighthouse Inn and ten overnight respite beds at My Sisters' Place. The plan was to have the first of the city's up to 15 hubs up and running this winter. The goal being to get people off the streets by providing those who are acutely at risk with a number of supports and basic necessities, and eventually transition them into stable housing.
The agency's decision to scrap its proposal is due to the Fanshawe Park Road site, where roughly a dozen people currently living in the motel would have been evicted to make room for the hub. Those individuals are low-income residents who have voiced concerns they would become homeless if forced out.
"We wish to emphasize that our commitment to helping individuals in need remains steadfast, however, we are also committed to doing what is right," the statement from CMHATV continued. "We are actively exploring alternative options to host respite beds this winter."
City officials were notified about the agency's decision late in the day on Friday.
"It is very unfortunate CMHATV is in this situation, but we wholeheartedly support their unwavering commitment to avoiding unintended displacements among marginalized individuals, especially after the new information came to light," the City of London said in a statement. "As many health and homelessness leaders have consistently emphasized, system transformation during a crisis will be imperfect, and CMHATV’s decision is a testament to that adaptive approach."
Ward 7 Councillor Corrine Rahman, whose area the Fanshawe Park Road hub was in, did not support the plan. She had said she received hundreds of emails and calls from residents and business owners in the area who were worried about the hub's impact on the community.
Proposed hubs by Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) and Atlohsa at 329 Richmond Street, 800 Commissioners Road, and 550 Wellington Road are continuing as planned.
