The Ontario government has opened a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Belleville, expanding access to integrated mental health, addictions, and supportive housing services across Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. The facility is part of a nearly $550-million provincial initiative to establish 28 HART Hubs provincewide, aimed at improving community safety while supporting people facing homelessness, addiction and complex mental health challenges.
“We are building a stronger, more connected system of mental health and addictions care that better reflects the needs of communities and focuses on lasting recovery,” said Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “The opening of this new HART Hub will ensure that people struggling with mental health and addictions challenges in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties can get the care they need on their path to recovery, while keeping the community safe.”
The new Belleville facility brings together local health and social service agencies under one roof to deliver coordinated care. Led by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Hastings Prince Edward, the Hub connects individuals to a comprehensive range of supports, including primary care, mental health services, addictions treatment, employment programs, social services, Indigenous-led supports and transitional housing. The site also provides basic needs such as food, washrooms, laundry and showers, and includes mobile outreach to reach rural residents.
The HART model is designed to streamline services that have traditionally been delivered separately, reducing barriers for individuals experiencing homelessness or unstable housing. By integrating programming, the province aims to improve long-term recovery outcomes while easing pressure on emergency services, hospitals and municipal shelters.
Local leaders have emphasized the urgency of expanding these services. “I’m excited to see that the HART Hub Hastings Prince Edward is now operational,” said Bay of Quinte MPP Tyler Allsopp. “Building on our government’s three-year commitment of almost $19 million, the HART Hub will provide low-barrier access to mental health and addiction support, primary care, food and other necessities. It will also create pathways for supportive housing, treatment and recovery.”
Municipal partners are also investing in the expansion. Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis pointed to the city’s significant financial support toward renovating the Hub’s future home at 1 Alhambra Square. “This new HART Hub is rooted in locally-built solutions, and will give residents access to the care, safety, and stability they need to get well. We’re proud to support this work with our community partners and the province, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact the Hub will have across Belleville and the region.”
Service providers describe the Hub as a turning point for a community grappling with rising homelessness and overdose rates. “The HART Hub, with the soon-to-be ready integrated care hub at 1 Alhambra Square, will give our neighbours who are struggling a safe place to land and begin healing,” said Kara Petit, Executive Director of the John Howard Society. “This model brings services together under one roof so people can access mental health care, addictions support, housing navigation and community programs without barriers.”
Sandie Sidsworth, CEO of the Enrichment Centre for Mental Health, stressed the importance of dignity-based care. “Healing starts when someone is supported to stop running from their trauma and take a breathe,” she said. “No one chooses to struggle with their mental health or addiction, or to experience homelessness… The HPE HART Hub is a commitment to making sure no one has to navigate mental health, addiction, or homelessness alone.”
The Belleville and Quinte region has already begun expanding services tied to the new Hub. The Bridge Integrated Care Hub, currently operating at 125 South Church Street, will transition to a 24-hour model to ensure constant access to shelter and essential services. Once renovations are complete, it will relocate to the permanent Alhambra Square site.
Provincial officials highlight that HART Hubs will also add nearly 900 supportive housing units across Ontario—about 300 more than originally planned—as part of a strategy to move individuals toward long-term stability. Two Indigenous-led Hubs, in Kenora and Sault Ste. Marie/Blind River/Sagamok, are under development to deliver culturally informed care.
Brandi Hodge, Executive Director of United Way Hastings and Prince Edward, emphasized the broader community impact. “Our neighbours, our children, and every person in our community deserve safety, dignity and hope… By providing coordinated, compassionate support, we’re also strengthening the safety and well-being of our entire community.”
CMHA Hastings Prince Edward CEO Lisa Ali said the Hub’s 24-hour service model will help staff reach more individuals earlier. “Our HART Hub is being built by-local and for-local — because we know the care people need must be available and accessible across Hastings Prince Edward.”
The province’s plan builds on the Roadmap to Wellness, a $3.8-billion, 10-year mental health and addictions strategy, and includes an additional $303 million over three years for community-led programs under Budget 2025.
