The Executive Director of Homelessness in St. John’s says a significant investment needs to be made into housing to help people transition from the Waterford Hospital into the community.
Doug Pawson says housing is healthcare, and healthcare is housing.
He was responding to comments from mental health advocate Kristi Allen who wants more detail on how that will work.
Pawson says the current options available “are very limited” and they don’t people to be discharged from the Waterford into emergency housing, which is something that they have been seeing.
The Department of Health says the government is actively working with health authorities, community partners and family members and people living with mental illness and substance use disorders to support the replacement of the Waterford and further expansion of community-based programs and services.
The Department says that work is already on the way to support the transition of people from the Waterford to the community with housing and wrap supports in place.