Former Windsor naval base could soon be home to affordable housing
The former HMCS Hunter property at 960 Ouellette Ave. in downtown Windsor could soon be transformed into affordable housing following Tuesday’s federal budget.
According to the budget, the Liberals are laying out a “bold strategy to unlock 3.9 million new homes by 2031,” using a multitude of measures, including the Public Lands for Homes strategy.
“Our government wants to fast-track, prioritize, and accelerate the conversion of empty National Defense buildings like the HMCS Hunter downtown into affordable housing and into housing,” said Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk.
He continued, “We want to convert it into affordable housing as quickly as possible. Get it into the hands of not for profits, like Habitat for Humanity, or get it into the hands of developers to turn that vacant property that's doing nothing but sitting empty into affordable housing and into housing for our community.”
Kusmierczyk said officials hope to make a decision soon on selling or long-term leasing the vacant property, “We're going to be looking at the property and saying, ‘Does it make sense to sell it,’ because sometimes that takes a little bit of time. Or do we want to lease it, which is quicker, get it into the hands of developers and not for profits to get shovels in the ground, get that empty space converted into housing as quickly as possible.”
“Imagine working families in there. Imagine international students and students who are living there. Imagine nurses and doctors working at the hospital here on locum living there. That's what we want to see happen,” Kusmierczyk explained.
“So we're looking at that property. We're going to accelerate the process. We want to get it into the hands of developers as quickly as possible to turn it into affordable housing as quickly as possible,” he continued. “We're also looking at Canada Post, we're also looking at vacant government buildings that are underutilized.”
“We're going to be working together with municipalities, with towns and cities with mayors. We're going to be working with the private sector. We're going to be working with a not for profit, but 3.9 million homes is the target and we need to do that we need to get supply to bring the cost of homes down,” Kusmierczyk added.
“Certainly it's a great announcement that there's going to be some discussions about long term leases, but my real big concern is shovels in the ground,” said downtown city Coun. Renaldo Agostino. “When you look at the costs of getting these buildings done, and then you look at what the return is going to be, and then when you look at what the investment needs to be, and then what the interest rates are. This is the biggest problem that needs to be tackled right now, we need to sit down with developers and I've been speaking to some of them, trying to figure out what more can we do as a city to get your jobs done.”
“We’ve got to get more units out there,” Agostino explained. “We've got to kind of add more supply to lessen the demand and whether it's houses at Roseland or houses on the west side or more apartments at Glengarry, anywhere, right? Adding to the stock is going to help. It's not going to solve the problem, but it sure is going to help.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
'More aggressive': Tocchet shifts lineups as Canucks get ready to take on Oilers in Vancouver
As the Canucks prepare to take on the Oilers for Game 5, Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet is making changes to the team's lineup.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Police issue Canada-wide warrant for Regina homicide suspect
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.