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The Abbotsford Community Hub Centre has helped Jay Moore through every stage of his addiction.
From using its overdose prevention services to receiving crucial health care that helped him stop using drugs to relying on it for daily meals, Moore has been supported by the hub for four years.
The program, which offers various harm reduction services on South Fraser Way, announced it will close at the end of the month.
The hub is “unable to continue operating at the current location” and has not been able to find a new location “despite extensive efforts,” says an announcement from the Phoenix Society, which runs the program.
CBC News reached out to the Phoenix Society to ask why it is unable to continue using its current location, but did not hear back before deadline.
The looming closure has left those who rely on the hub’s services, like Moore, feeling lost.
“This place closing is going to hurt a lot of people,” he said. “They help people every day get off drugs.”
Having not used drugs for months, Moore visits the hub every day to check in with the support workers and get his daily meals.
But he says the hub does more than just offer these services, it’s a place where homeless people like himself can go to feel safe.
“It’s about safety, not just addiction,” said Moore.
Moore is nervous he won’t find a new doctor if the hub closes, and says he may have to relocate to be closer to resources.
The only overdose prevention site in Vancouver’s core has closed for good after barely two years in operation. It comes amid an increasingly potent illicit-drug supply and record number of overdose calls to emergency services. As Janella Hamilton reports, harm reduction advocates say the closure of yet another location is cause for concern.
The Phoenix Society says it will work with the Fraser Health Authority and other partners to support the hub’s clients transition to other services.
“This closure highlights the urgent need for sustainable, long-term funding and infrastructure for harm reduction services,” said the announcement posted to it’s website.
In a statement to CBC News, Fraser Health says it is actively trying to find new locations for overdose prevention sites in Abbotsford, and has been working with the Phoenix Society to find a new location.
It says those who need overdose prevention services can use the Abbotsford Mobile Overdose Prevention Site at 1670 Riverside Road, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.
But advocates say the hub was unique as it offered a very wide breadth of services in one spot.
Brittany Alenius, executive director of the Matsqui-Abbotsford Impact Society, says having a variety of resources in one place is important for those with mobility issues and other challenges.
“This is a massive loss for our community,” said Alenius.
“The fear is that we will see people falling through the gaps and we will see an increased death toll.”
She says more needs to be done on all levels of government to ensure these services remain accessible to vulnerable community members.
The closure comes two months after the last overdose prevention site in Vancouver’s downtown core shut down.
