LETTER: Don’t wait for drug consumption site — we can save lives now

SooToday received the following Letter to the Editor from reader Julie Hryniewicz in response to this article: Mayor continues fight for safe consumption funding even as Sudbury site closes.

Instead of waiting for approval to save lives by allowing individuals to use substances in a supervised setting, let’s provide a supervised setting where basic human needs can be met. We can save lives now, and it doesn’t require months (or years) of government red tape.

Between January 2022 and November 2023, our organization ran a private drop-in space for individuals experiencing homelessness, urgent housing issues, and active substance use. This facility was opened during the pandemic, 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, running purely with volunteers, students, community sponsors, and caring individuals. Members were allowed to come off of the street, sleep on zero-gravity lounge chairs, have a shower, use a washroom, telephone, computer or WIFI, have something to drink, warm up by a fireplace, cool down in the warmer weather, wash their clothes, or safely store belongings.

The first week we opened, four people stopped in. The second week, over 20. Then, the third week, we had over 75. By the end of the first month, over 200 unique visitors, came through our open door. Even though we had to sell our building, when the new Community Resource Centre (CRC) opened, to recoup some of our operating costs, were strict about not allowing substance use on site, and the drop-in model worked. Unfortunately, though, this crisis also operates outside of regular business hours.

If you research the Sault Police Service year-end crime statistics, after the Neighbourhood Resource Centre closed in 2020, to the end of 2021, crime rates went up. If you then look at the crime statistics by the end of 2022, crime rates went down. There is no doubt, that with the numerous support services running in the downtown core of Sault Ste. Marie in 2022, this made all the difference.

If all the powers that be put effort and will into coming up with a way to top up CRC hrs to 24/7 or selecting a new location to operate a welcoming, clean, open-concept, ground-level, drop-in space, with washrooms, on the outskirts of the downtown core, we would see a significant difference. The basic human needs of the 12 dozen people who are identified as experiencing homelessness (over and above available shelter beds) would have an alternative.

Most font line workers want to support, encourage, listen, help, empower, motivate, socialize, talk, assist, refer, advocate, and be there to guide and care for individuals when they are ready to take their next positive steps. A drop-in centre provides an excellent first step, allows individuals to replenish their energy, and fills the current gap between the streets and healthy living.

Not everyone chooses to heal, but so many people have made progress. We don’t just want people to stay alive; we want them to truly live. This is possible now, with a 24/7 drop-in space and combined community effort. Currently, the only official 24/7 drop-in spaces are drug houses.

Julie Hryniewicz,
Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.