Sudbury city councillor proposes 'one stop' hub for homelessness services

A Sudbury city councillor would like to see the city create a central hub for homelessness services, and is bringing a motion to city council Tuesday evening.

Coun. Bill Leduc's motion, if passed, would direct city staff to outsource a feasibility study, looking into the idea of a "one stop" location for homelessness, mental health and addiction services for the city's most vulnerable.

"It would be a combination of everything," Leduc said.

"A safe place for them year round to live, to find all the services that they require under one roof."

Leduc said the idea for the motion came out of what he heard at recent community engagement sessions on homelessness held by the city. At those sessions he heard first hand some of the challenges facing those accessing services.

"They just found it too complex to navigate through, unfortunately. And they just felt that they were being shuffled around without anybody paying attention to them or listening to them," Leduc said.

"So I think by creating this one stop shop, hopefully that will address most of the concerns, I don't think it will address all of the concerns, but I think it's a step forward in the right direction."

Ease of access

At the Elgin Street Mission, director and chaplain Amanda Robichaud sees first hand how difficult it can be for people she serves to navigate the various services in the city.

"Just the other day I was helping someone out with writing a rent cheque, and she said to me 'what year is it?'" Robichaud said.

"They don't have cell phones, many of them, they don't have day timers or planners, and whatever we can do to help them, I think is really the best for their wellbeing."

Robichaud said she support's Leduc's idea of a centralized hub for services. The Samaritan Centre, where the Elgin Street Mission is located, is a good example of the benefit of having different organizations together under one roof, she said.

"People know that this is where you get food, right, whether it's from the Elgin Street Mission or the Blue Door Kitchen, you know that this is where you come to get a good healthy meal. And so that takes away any kind of confusion about where, what time, what day of the week," Robichaud said.

Motion before council

Leduc said he is feeling hopeful that his motion will get support from fellow councillors, particularly given the recent decisions council has made with regards to helping those experiencing homelessness.

If the motion passes, and a feasibility study is done, Leduc said it would likely be a few years before the service hub could become a reality.