Windsor city council will be asked to make a formal resolution supporting the city's application to the federal government's Housing Accelerator Fund.
Under the program, Windsor would be eligible to receive around $40 million in base funding, and potentially $30 million more if the municipality reaches its aggressive housing targets.
The catch is the federal government wants the city to change its bylaws to allow four-plex units on all residential properties in the city to unlock that funding.
In December, council voted against making that change to the city's bylaw. That launched further discussions with the federal government surrounding Windsor's application.
As part of those discussions, Windsor has been asked to make a formal resolution. That resolution will be presented to city councillors on Monday.
"It basically enunciates and emphasizes what we've put into the application but I think part of this is also saying we're willing to have a conversation with the community," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
Through the application, the city identified over 1,000 acres of property along major corridors where four-plexes would be allowed as-of-right.
Dilkens said if the plan were fully subscribed the city would exceed the targets set out in the fund.
"If the whole idea of the program is to allow housing to be built and accelerate housing, this is our plan. 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.
Councillor Kieran McKenzie, who was one of two councillors who wanted to allow four-plexes as of right throughout the city, is glad the issue is coming back to council.
"They're making millions of dollars available to us and they're asking us to approve a housing form that can address the housing need in our community and communities across Canada," said McKenzie. "If that's the ticket to entry than to me the fundamental question that we need to ask ourselves than is do we or do we not want to leverage the funds that could be available."
