London's winter support program loses mental health crisis piece
CBC
London's Winter Response Program for the homeless has suffered another setback.
The city has been forced to drop a stabilization space that was to be provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association.
"We planned to use the Hamilton Road location that CMHA had previously operated as a coffeehouse," Kevin Dickins, deputy city manager of social and health development with the City of London, said Wednesday.
"It has not been operational since about March of 2020, and CMHA had hoped that that would be the space that might be appropriate for this use," he said.
Ten beds had been promised for people in mental health and addiction crises. City staff told council last night that the stabilization space will not be available, at least in the short term.
Dickins said it is unlikely that the city will be able to find another suitable location in time for the program's Dec. 1 start.
He said individuals needing mental health support will continue to be referred to the CMHA's existing crisis centre on Queen's Ave.
"If things materialize and we're able to come back to council, we will do that," said Dickins, "but I'm not sure that's going to happen."
Dickins said some work had gone into preparing the space, which he now says CMHA can take advantage of for their own use.
"CMHA is now in a position where they're able to operationalize their programming at the Hamilton Road space by the end of the month," he explained.
It's the second hit for the Winter Response program in recent days. The River Road Golf Course was chosen as the site for an Indigenous-led shelter, but an alleged arson attack has forced the city to look for another location.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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