A local member of Parliament is calling on the Liberals to invest in affordable housing for west Windsor residents.
MP Brian Masse of Windsor West wants Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help replenish the stock of affordable housing in the vicinity of the University of Windsor and Olde Sandwich Towne, as the Ambassador Bridge Company prepares to build a second span of the bridge.
Masse addressed his concerns recently at an appearance in Sandwich Towne, which was broadcast on Facebook Live. He had stood in the House of Commons to call on the Liberals to own up for a decision to back the construction permit application by the bridge company, paving the way for homes to be torn down.
"The prime minister is being asked by myself and his cabinet to take responsibility for their actions with their special deal with the Ambassador Bridge," said Masse on the live stream. "This is a company and a prime minister's party that have had long relationships."
The bridge company has put up signs in front of the homes that they purchased in the neighbourhood, calling on Windsor City Council to approve the permits to tear them down. Masse said his main concern is ensuring that residents of the neighbourhood are given options for employment as well as affordable housing.
"A major component of what we have been focusing on is to see some practical results for people here because, at the end of the day, this Order-In-Council has only encouraged the boarding up of houses that used to have people that lived and worked and contributed to the community," said Masse.
Turning his attention to the announcement made by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority concerning the cost of designing and building the Gordie Howe International Bridge, Masse said the allotment being given to the Sandwich Towne area is a start, but more can be done.
"The government of Canada will save around $600 million for this, and the allocation for Sandwich Towne is $20 million for Windsor and Detroit, That's over 35 years. That's not good enough," said Masse.
