SafePoint to pause services amid provincial review of CTS sites
The Windsor Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) board has unanimously voted to pause operations at the SafePoint consumption and treatment services site after the holidays. The break in services will be in effect as of Jan.
1, 2024. The Ontario government put the opening of CTS sites on hold[1] after a 44-year-old mother of was struck and killed by a stray bullet near a site in Toronto.
The province has paused all decisions on funding until a review is complete. Windsor’s downtown site has been open since the spring, but has been waiting on the province for its final approval and funding, which Ward 2 city councillor and health unit board chair, Fabio Costante, previously told CTV News the site is “very much dependant” on provincial funding for sustainability.[2] Since opening in April, SafePoint has provided services for 600 people, including 150 people who were diverted to other social services like housing and treatment, according to data provided by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU).
This is a developing story, more details to come.
NEW: @TheWECHU[3] Board of Health has unanimously voted to pause operations at SafePoint, starting Jan.
1, 2024.
After a woman was killed by a stray bullet near a consumption and treatment site in Toronto, the provincial government paused approvals for all CTS sites in Ontario. pic.twitter.com/QXlQtXL7P5[4]
— Sanjay Maru (@sanJmaru) November 20, 2023[5]
References
- ^ opening of CTS sites on hold (windsor.ctvnews.ca)
- ^ “very much dependant” on provincial funding for sustainability. (windsor.ctvnews.ca)
- ^ @TheWECHU (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/QXlQtXL7P5 (t.co)
- ^ November 20, 2023 (twitter.com)