FAQs | The Bridge

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Bridge?

The Bridge is a proposed integrated care hub providing health and social services to people experiencing homelessness in Belleville and area.

Is The Bridge the same as the Drop-in program operating at Bridge Street United Church?

The Bridge hub builds on and expands the services that are currently offered at the Drop-in program operating at Bridge Street United Church. The Bridge plans to operate 24h/day.

Is The Bridge part of the new HART Hub?

In August 2024, the Ontario government announced the creation of new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs. The Bridge hub is one component of the HART Hub proposed for the Hastings Prince Edward region – an application was submitted in October 2024. Other components are teams of paramedics and addiction and mental health workers who can respond throughout the HPE region, and 22 units of supportive, transitional housing that will help individuals to sustain recovery from addiction.

Why is The Bridge needed in Belleville?

Homelessness is complex and touches all aspects of a person’s life. An effective community response to homelessness must address housing, health, and income as the primary supports required for individuals to find and maintain stable housing. Additional health and social services, including mental health and addiction services where required, are provided based on an individual’s needs.

By having multiple health and social services in one location and working together to provide care, The Bridge can meet the immediate needs of individuals experiencing homelessness more effectively. Team-based, multi-disciplinary care is a proven best practice for addressing complex health and social needs such as homelessness.

When will The Bridge move to 1 Alhambra Sq?

Due to construction delays, the timeline for moving to Alhambra has changed. The new facility is expected to be ready for occupancy of the lower level in September 2025. The Bridge organizations are planning to move Drop-In operation for its current location at 60 Bridge St E. to a temporary location in April 2025.

A full interior renovation of 1 Alhambra Sq is needed to accommodate The Bridge. The renovated building will include a drop-in space, washrooms, showers, laundry, offices for client meetings, counselling, nursing, and other services, a rest area, and a serving kitchen.

Renovation began in August 2024 with interior demolition. Unfortunately, structural issues with the trusses halted construction in September 2024. A plan for repairing the trusses and completing the renovation is now in place, subject to building permit approval by the City of Belleville.

Key milestones in the re-design and renovation of 1 Alhambra Sq include:

Auction and removal of contents: May 2024
Design process: May – August 2024
Demolition permit issued by City of Belleville – July 2024
Interior demolition August – September 2024
Permits & tendering - December 2024 - February 2025
Construction begins (building and site): February 2025
Phase 1 Construction complete (lower level): September 2025
Construction complete (all phases): December 2025

Who is involved with The Bridge?

The Bridge hub is a partnership between seven local health and social service organizations:

Belleville and Quinte West Community Health Centre

Canadian Mental Health Association Hastings Prince Edward

Enrichment Centre for Mental Health

Grace Inn Shelter

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

John Howard Society of Belleville & District

United Way Hastings Prince Edward

The Bridge is one component of a HART Hub proposed for the Hastings Prince Edward region. This proposal has been submitted with support from the above organizations along with Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services, Quinte Health, Tsi Kanonhkhwatsheríyo (IIPCT), Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Loyalist College, and local municipalities.

How does The Bridge address homelessness?

The Bridge meets the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness, providing safety, stability and a place to connect with a network of services and supports. The Bridge connects people to resources in our community, based on individual needs. These can include mental health and addiction resources, income support, employment programs, and resources to find and maintain stable housing.

What services will be provided at The Bridge?

The Bridge will provide a range of services – showers, washrooms, laundry, food, drop-in, rest area, community development programs, primary health care and addictions medicine, income support, housing counselling, case management, and harm reduction. Basic services will be provided 24 hours/day.

Services at the Bridge are intended to meet the immediate needs of clients and bridging from there – through meaningful peer and staff engagement using trauma-informed and harm reduction approaches – to more robust services in the wider health and social service systems to meet current and evolving needs and help to maintain stable housing.

Is The Bridge another shelter?

The Bridge is not designed as a shelter. There will be quiet areas where individuals who attend The Bridge can rest safely and with dignity; however, The Bridge will be a 24-hour facility and will therefore provide safe space for people to go if the Shelter in Belleville is full.

How can I contribute?

Donations to The Bridge hub can be made to the United Way Hastings Prince Edward. Please clearly indicate that your donation is for The Bridge Integrated Care Hub.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Steve van de Hoef

Interim Director – The Bridge

Phone: 613-922-8672

Where can I learn more about homelessness?

The Homeless Hub’s Homelessness 101 is a good starting point for learning about homelessness in Canada.

For more information about homelessness in Belleville, Quinte West, and Hastings County, and how our communities are responding, visit Hastings County’s website.