Windsor not next in line to implement 'fourplex as of right' bylaw

The housing crisis has seen municipalities across Ontario respond by passing new blanket zoning exemptions to give the green light to fourplex construction on any residential property, as governments look to push developers to add more supply to meet demand.

Windsor isn’t ready to go there — just yet.

The latest cities to make the move are Kitchener and Guelph, passing “as of right” bylaws allowing the construction of the four-unit buildings on residentially zoned land, often dominated by single-family homes.

It is something Windsor’s mayor is keenly aware may be before council in the near future.

“Things are changing,” Drew Dilkens told council on Monday. “Already as a matter of right here, you can have three units on one property. There’s a move now to look at fourplexes as a matter of right.”

The province updated zoning rules in its More Homes, Built Faster Act — part of its promise to build 1.5 million new homes over 10 years. That allowed the three-unit per property increase. It hasn’t updated the legislation to expand on that density as of yet.

And according to Dilkens, the city hasn’t made up its mind.

“We don’t have a position on that yet,” said Dilkens, when asked about the possibility of such a bylaw in Windsor by CTV News. “We have to find the balance between building more housing, being sensible in what we’re doing and trying to find ways that utilizes land in an appropriate way.”

One Kitchener city councillor described the measure as a way to help seniors downsize at a time of elevated home prices.

“I also think it will help seniors who are on a fixed income and are over housed, kids have moved out, and they’re looking for a way to support themselves in retirement,” said Aislinn Clancy, the Ward 10 councillor in Kitchener.

Guelph’s mayor, Cam Guthrie, celebrated the unanimous passing of the motion on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The City of London also made a similar move last month that allowed four-units in low-density residential areas.

NEIGHBOURHOOD PUSHBACK

As evidenced by the pushback to a pair of housing projects before council on Monday, including an approved plan to build two mid-rise apartment buildings with a total of 92-units and 123 parking spaces in east Windsor near Ford Test Track, there remains significant opposition to developments that bring housing density to single-family home neighbourhoods.

Dilkens voted in favour of the project, but expressed his understanding of resident concerns.

“A fourplex on every residentially zoned property is probably not appropriate in some areas,” Dilkens said. “I think we need to walk through that together and understand what we’re doing as opposed to making something available as a matter of right that could have a dramatic impact on any residential neighbourhood throughout the city.”

The City of Windsor is still awaiting a response to its application to the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and could be in line for up to $40 million in federal funds through the program.

The HAF aims to add housing density and more “missing middle” housing to help alleviate the current crunch with Ottawa attaching funding to entice municipalities to approve such projects.