City seeking operator for sobering centre

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This article was published 11/07/2024 (598 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the city seeks an operator for Brandon’s planned sobering centre, questions remain about the status of long-term provincial funding for the facility.

The city issued a tender last week for a community organization to operate the sobering centre, which isn’t constructed yet, but is poised to be built beside the transitional housing facility on 16th Street North. Construction of that facility started last week.

The tender states that $1.5 million has been secured for the centre’s annual operating budget. However, the province has not confirmed its annual funding commitment for the facility.

The previous Progressive Conservative government committed to the $1.5 million before the election, but when the NDP government released its 2024-25 budget earlier this year, it said that the money was not budgeted for by the PCs. The NDP then announced it was providing $250,000 in operating funding to the sobering centre for the fiscal year.

At the time, Shannon Saltarelli, the city’s community housing and wellness co-ordinator, told the Sun that the province had adjusted the operational funding budget to accommodate the time to build the centre, as the $1.5 million would not be needed for 2024.

“As design and construction proceeds, we will jointly monitor the need for operational funds in this fiscal year. We are still in the re-design stage due to the increased costs of construction and limited budget,” Saltarelli wrote in an email at the time. “The focus is to get it operational as soon as possible once construction is complete and again, some funding has been identified for this fiscal year for operational/staff funding.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the finance minister’s office could not confirm the province’s commitment to annual funding.

“Discussions are still underway for any future funding requirements for the sobering centre in Brandon,” the spokesperson wrote.

City officials and officials at the Canadian Mental Health Association in Winnipeg, who are also involved in the sobering centre project, were unable to answer the Sun’s questions about whether the project has enough money to complete the construction or what the expected construction start date was.

According to the tender document, the city will hold two information sessions later this month for interested community organizations. The evaluation period will take place after the closing date and a detailed request for proposal is expected to be released in mid-August. The contract with the selected operator is anticipated to start in the fall.

“The city is seeking organization(s) with a strong track record in providing trauma-informed care and culturally sensitive programming for vulnerable individuals, particularly those at risk of homelessness, substance-use disorders, and mental-health needs,” the document states. “This organization will also have experience collaborating with police, fire, paramedic services, community service providers and the health system.”

The sobering centre will admit voluntary, supportive referrals, and involuntary referrals through the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act. The centre aims to provide a safe, supportive and supervised location to care for publicly intoxicated individuals until they are sober.

“The sobering centre can be the front door to recovery and a more stable life for an individual, addressing practical and immediate needs while working with community partners or additional services,” the document stated.

The tender closes on July 29.

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