Regeneration says it served 45,228 meals to guests in 2024 (up 13 per cent from 202) while homelessness in Peel Region has risen 93 per cent since 2021. (Photo: Regeneration Outreach Community)
An embattled outreach program could be getting a new $28 million facility in Brampton following community complaints and legal threats from the city.
Regeneration Outreach Community has operated out of Grace United Church at 156 Main St. North in downtown Brampton for 15 years, providing at-risk residents with a food kitchen, basic needs services, an identification clinic and addiction services.
And despite filling a gap in Brampton’s social safety net and pleading with City Council for help relocating, Regeneration has come under fire from the city and some downtown residents dealing with public intoxication and drug use, prostitution, thefts, break-ins and robberies in the community – issues the city has said are up to Regeneration to fix.
Regeneration has been sent two letters from the city threatening legal action, but a proposal going to Peel Regional Council this week could see the outreach centre move approximately three kilometres east to the old Brampton Fire and Emergency Services Station 201 on Rutherford Road.
The new 20,000 square-foot service hub would operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, “providing daytime drop-in services, social supports, and overnight accommodation” for individuals experiencing homelessness, a report reads.
The region’s shelter system is currently operating at around 128 capacity,and the new hub would help take some pressure off the shelters, the report says.
It could cost some $24 million for demolition of the old fire hall and construction of the new hub, with an annual operating cost of around $4.5 million. Approximately $600,000 in annual funding currently allocated to Regeneration would be redirected to the new hub, leaving a shortfall of $3.9 million per year “that will need to be added to the tax base in future budget once the facility is constructed,” the report says.
Those costs “pose significant financial risks for the Region,” as they weren’t included in the 2026 budget process.
The hub proposal doesn’t include long-term housing solutions, but would have a drop-in centre area, food pantry, meals and eating areas, kitchen, washrooms and showers, laundry facilities, a clinic, and a “Stay the Night” program for overnight stays.
If approved by regional council, the hub would come with a long-term lease agreement in collaboration with the city. Moving forward with the service hub “will have future tax impacts,” and staff are expected to report back with updated capital and operating costs, pending approval.
Regeneration Brampton did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the relocation proposal.
The group has been looking for a new facility in Brampton for years, and Regeneration previously asked Brampton City Council to assist with finding a more suitable location. But rather than get help relocating, Regeneration faced criticism from councillors for providing tents to clients in need.
Following community push back, Grace United hired security and cleaners with funds from the Region of Peel to help address concerns, but both are part-time and there isn’t enough funding available for additional hires.
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