Frustration in Sudbury's Flour Mill over disruptive behaviour blamed on transitional housing complex

People living in the Flour Mill neighbourhood of Sudbury say they feel their once-pleasant neighbourhood has become unsafe and frightening because of an increase in unsheltered people seeking services at a nearby drop-in and transitional housing complex.

They blame Sudbury's Transitional Centre for Care for attracting substance users to the largely residential area just outside the city's core.

The centre was founded at 492 Notre Dame Avenue in 2021 to provide daytime programs and services for the unsheltered.

It also went on to open 46 transitional housing units, essentially rooms for both sober clients and those engaged in harm reduction strategies.

During the winter, residents say they saw an uptick in traffic among substance users and vulnerable people as the city provided funding for the drop-in centre to extend its hours.

That funding ran out as of the end of April and the drop-in has reverted to shorter day-time hours and currently does not receive any city funding.

Residents have been petitioning to get the centre to leave the area, complaining of aggressive panhandling, threats of violence, weapons, public urination, public drug use, dirty needles and generally disruptive and destructive behaviour.

Few have been willing to share their names citing fear of their personal safety.

However, Roger Doucet, who owns six apartment buildings in the area, was not shy about putting his views on record.

"It's a war zone," he said.

Doucet said he's had his garage broken into, and his car damaged because of his opposition to the centre and its clients.

He said he collects dirty needles and other drug paraphernalia and dumps them on the steps of the drop-in to express his displeasure.

His frustration extends to what he sees as a lack of action by police and social services, giving a recent example.

He had taken his boat to the Ramsey Lake public boat launch to go fishing, and encountered two men using drugs in the overhang of the boat ramp.