Council approves funding for six harm reduction pilot projects ahead of Consumption and Treatment Services closure

By Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

At their Tuesday meeting, Council unanimously approved funding for six pilot projects intended to support harm reduction services ahead of the planned closure of Kingston’s Consumption and Treatment Services site at the end of September. 

This initiative is part of a multi-part response approved by Council in May to prepare for the provincially imposed transition to the abstinence-only Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub model. $350,000 of funding was approved with the goal of supporting new, innovative projects.

Applications were evaluated by a United Way led panel, with successful projects including mobile meal and outreach services, distributing survival supplies to people experiencing homelessness, and providing mental health and addictions supports at community events.

Several amendments were made to the original motion to reduce administrative barriers, account for the future beyond the one-year pilot period, and ensure the sixth project, a lunch program run by Feed The People in Belle Park, could go through.

Listen to the full story here.