Following the July closure of Northumberland County's 24/7 emergency hub at 310 Division Street, county staff presented a report last week proposing four potential sites—two in Cobourg and two in rural areas—for a new winter warming center for the 2025–2026 season. The estimated costs of $215,000 to $400,000 align with the county's budget, addressing increasing demand for emergency shelter and limited regional capacity.

Jordan Stevenson of IHARC proposed "Rally Point," a $280,000 plan for 30 chronically homeless, substance-addicted individuals in downtown Cobourg. It offers hot meals, modular tents, and high-tech data collection, with scalable operations.

“First of all, we’re learning from the mistakes of past implementations,” said Stevenson, who claims his proposal avoids past implementation errors, which led to chaos and crime in the surrounding area.

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Stevenson's focus remains on helping individuals transition from homelessness and addiction by connecting them with treatment options and providing support for a successful exit from their current circumstances.

The proposed site at the paramedic station could integrate with emergency services. Stevenson stressed proactive community engagement to avoid past issues like crime.

The Rally Point adopts a "hospital first" strategy, directing individuals experiencing withdrawal or overdose to medical care, away from street exposure. Stevenson stated, “If we can divert them to emergency care first, and then into medication-based treatment like Suboxone or Methadone, we reduce harm and increase the chance of long-term recovery. Otherwise, they’ll seek out illicit substances regardless.”

IHARC has been tracking street-level data both formally and informally for the past two years. Stevenson reported that on any given night, 38 individuals sleep outdoors in the county, while shelter capacity remains full.

The majority are actively addicted or struggling with severe mental illness, and there aren’t many options on where to go.

“The healthcare costs alone are just staggering,” Stevenson shares. “For 38 people living outside, we’re going to flood the system regardless, and it will be exponentially more expensive than if we can handle this in a controlled manner,” he said, noting one emergency healthcare visit costs roughly $1,600 from start to finish.

Stevenson also admits that there needs to be a shift in measuring success.

“I think we need to look at how we are facilitating exits from the overall system,” he said, acknowledging that this has to take place “in conjunction with a number of professionals.”

Regardless, both action and inaction mean taxpayers bear the cost.

County Council will decide whether to open a warming hub this winter at a special meeting on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. They will consider the need for shelter and solutions like IHARC’s Rally Point.

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