40-unit transitional home in Sudbury set to open in early July following delays

A long-awaited transitional housing complex in Sudbury is scheduled to open in early July after facing construction delays.

The $14.4-million complex, being built on Lorraine Street in the northern Ontario city, has had a complicated history. 

The project's original contractor, Nomodic Modular Structures Inc., declared bankruptcy in October 2023. That halted construction for two months before Flex Modular was named the new contractor at the end of that year.

The City of Greater Sudbury also fell victim to a $1.5-million email fraud scheme related to the project.

Tyler Campbell, the city's director of children and social services, said there's now a light at the end of the tunnel for the project.

"We've just recently gotten the keys and so we're slowly moving furnishings in and got a bit of IT [information technology] work to do on site as well," he said.

"And then we'll be transitioning clients. So it's a great story."

Campbell said 13 people currently staying in a Sudbury-area motel will be the first to move into the facility when it opens its doors.

It will have 40 units in total and will offer a suite of social services for the people who live there, as well as others in the community.

The complex will also be home to Sudbury's Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs, which the Sudbury hospital is managing with other partners.

"The goal is to bridge service gaps, enhance system integration, and deliver timely, culturally safe, and appropriate care to those who need it most with a focus on outreach services, transitional housing, a centrally located downtown hub, supportive housing and bed based services," Health Sciences North spokesperson Jason Turnbull said in an email to CBC News.

Sudbury's HART hub, along with all others approved in the province, were scheduled to start operations by April 1.

Campbell said the provincial election in February delayed those plans.

"Obviously there was the election that took place and then as people were slotted in from a cabinet perspective they've gotten those funding agreements out to us," he said.

"So pleased about that, but yeah, the election just slowed things down a couple of months."

The provincial government is investing $550 million to create 28 new HART hubs across Ontario, including locations in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.