Remember homeless hubs? London's mayor no longer 'fixated' on meeting goal of opening 15

London's mayor is walking back a promise to open 15 homeless hubs across the city in the coming years as funding and politics continue to influence services for people living rough. 

At a ceremony Monday marking the opening of the permanent location of one of two existing hubs in London, Josh Morgan said he is "not fixated" on the number of hubs available. 

Morgan, with the support of council and a committee of London services providers, developed the homeless hub idea in 2023, with an anonymous donor kicking in $25 million to help pay for infrastructure work. The original plan was to open as many as 15 hubs, with between three to five of them opening that same year.

Now, the number is less clear. 

"Creating hubs and the number of hubs we create is not the goal here," said Morgan. "Hubs are a transitional space into permanent housing, they're a stop along the way."

"I'm not fixated on how many we actually create," he said. 

Instead, Morgan suggested the city will modify its plan based on how many people move from hubs into permanent housing. 

Currently, Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) and Indigenous-run Atlohsa are the only operational hubs that have been created. Plans for a third hub were dropped when the organization looking to run it realized people would be displaced from the motel earmarked as the site. 

On Monday, YOU moved from a temporary location to a permanent site at the London Health Sciences Centre. It has six respite beds and nine transitional rooms for youth aged 16 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness. 

"We think this is a transformative opportunity for young people," Steve Cordes, the chief executive officer at YOU, said.

Cordes believes the hubs are a route toward housing for youth, noting that the six beds at the temporary site helped about 50 youth since they opened in 2023. Nearly 30 per cent of them found permanent housing. 

Atlohsa's hub, located at the Parkwood Institute, has 10 respite beds and 18 transitional rooms. 

Morgan said hubs continue to be a way to help vulnerable Londoners find mental health support, get career advice and reconnect with family before moving to permanent housing, which is the long-term goal. 

"We still have to focus on creating the housing," said Morgan. "Both of those things are important and ultimately, housing at the end is the most critically important piece because that's what stabilizes people for the long term."

Province focuses on 'HART' hubs

The province announced in September that it will spend $378 million to open 19 homelessness and addiction recovery treatment, or HART, hubs in Ontario. 

London, in collaboration with the local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, has submitted its HART hub application and if approved, the provincial hubs could be part of the city's hubs plan, Morgan said.

"The HART hub may actually be two to three of the hubs that we contemplated, all in one," said Morgan. "How that actually plays out is subject to the province actually funding it."

Approximately $3 million went into the youth hub, he added. The money came out of the Fund For Change, which is administered by the London Community Foundation. 

A large portion of the fund's money came from an anonymous donor, who gave the city $25 million, vowing to match any funds raised up to an additional $5 million, to create permanent places for people experiencing homelessness. The fund raised an additional $4.1 million, which was matched by the donor.

Morgan said between $10 million and $12 million of the Fund For Change's money has been spent on projects, including the hub at Atlohsa and supportive housing spaces at 46 Elmwood Place.