The Ontario government announced plans to build a 256-bed long-term care home in Hamilton, which will be located at the site of the former Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital at 290 Fennell Avenue West in Hamilton and is made possible by the Province’s initiative to sell surplus government land on the condition that a portion of the site be used for long-term care.
“Our government is fixing Ontario’s long-term care system, and building a new home like the one that will be built on this site is a key part of our plan,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care. “By selling unused provincial lands, more seniors can stay in their community, close to family and friends, while getting the quality of care they need and deserve.”
The Surplus Provincial Lands program is part of the government’s $6.4 billion commitment to build more than 30,000 net new beds by 2028 and 28,000 upgraded long-term care beds across the province. The program uses the sale of unused government properties to secure much-needed land for building long-term care homes in large urban areas of the province where available land is scarce and costly. The program also opens the door for additional uses such as affordable housing, and complementary healthcare and educational facilities.
The government has begun the process to sell five surplus government properties to date, with the requirement that purchasers develop and operate long-term care homes on the sites. These properties will provide up to 1,984 long-term care beds in areas where they are urgently needed.
Featured image: The Ontario government plans to build a new 256-bed long-term care home on the site of the former Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital at 290 Fennell Avenue West. (Google Maps)
