Windsor presents path forward for federal Housing Accelerator Fund action plan

Windsor city council is being asked to reaffirm its support of Windsor’s controversial bid for upwards of $40 million in federal housing funds.

The bid wouldn’t allow for fourplexes to be built as of right anywhere in the city.

It would instead limit new fourplex developments to identified areas that can support the infrastructure.

A formal resolution is expected to be put forward by council that would seek to include community consultation on the plan that would determine where fourplexes can be built, while still accessing federal Housing Accelerator Funds (HAF).

Windsor’s mayor made his final pitch Friday.

Windsor city council will decide Monday whether to agree to the terms laid out by the federal government that would give access to millions of dollars to build more homes after getting an update on how talks with Ottawa have gone since initially voting it down in December.

“We have come forward with a perfectly viable compromise. And with solutions and initiatives that would help us do more than our part to help the federal government shoulder the burden of a national housing crisis,” said Mayor Drew Dilkens.

The feds want a bylaw changed to allow fourplexes be built anywhere in the city. Their request doesn’t sit well with Dilkens, who said the idea wouldn’t be right with the city’s current infrastructure.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens at a press conference announcing council’s federal Housing Accelerator Fund action plan on Jan. 19, 2024. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

“This is a plan we put forward that will allow us to build more than five times the amount of housing that's proposed in the HAF application,” said Dilkens.

Dilkens said the city has identified 1,000 acres and nearly 50 km of arterial roads where that kind of development makes sense, and wouldn’t impact the integrity of established neighbourhoods.

While optimistic, the proposal put forward could still get government funding approval.

“I have the residents’ back. I support our residents every step of the way,” said Dilkens.

Coun. Kieran McKenzie said the chance to take a closer look with more time will help to fully understand the implications so council can make a more informed decision.

“I'm glad to see the issue coming back to council,” said McKenzie. “There are some people that are expressing concerns with the idea [of a] bylaw change in the city of Windsor. There's others also, by the way, who are supportive.”

McKenzie was one of two councillors who voted in favour of fourplexes as a right, noting the first instalment of that federal housing money could help shave off some of the proposed municipal tax increase.

“Do I think that our plan is a good plan? I want to take a deeper dive,” said McKenzie.

“We're willing to move forward but we need a partner who's going to work with us on a plan that works for Windsor, as they've done with other communities who've come up with plans that work for their own communities as well,” said Dilkens.

Ottawa introduced the Housing Accelerator Fund last March to cut red tape and fast track construction of thousands of new homes by next year.

Currently, the City allows triplexes as of right.

CTV News has reached out to Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk, but has not heard back as of this article’s publication date.