After losing out on potentially $40-million dollars of funding for housing, the City of Windsor is assuring residents its making strides.
The City of Windsor was informed Wednesday that its application to the federal Housing Accelerator Fund was denied because of the council's refusal to allow four-plexes throughout the city.
Despite that, the city is eligible for more funds through Ontario's Build Faster Fund because it surpassed targets in 2023.
Last year, the city issued permits that resulted in 1,154 new residential housing units. The target assigned to Windsor in 2023 was 953 units.
“The City of Windsor continues to pursue additional housing stock in the community. Recent efforts to secure funding through the federal and provincial governments have highlighted the need to ensure consistent and accurate reporting of housing data. The City is working closely with the Province and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to address discrepancies and ensure comparable and accurate statistics in the future," said Jelena Payne, Commissioner of Economic Development.
The city's housing target for 2024 is 1,083 new units. That target will grow to 1,300 in 2025.
"Working with upper levels of government and key partners, we are helping to move the needle on the national housing crisis at the local level. Council remains committed to increasing the supply of housing at an accelerated pace, while respecting taxpayers and their investments, neighbourhoods and infrastructure, and quality of life for Windsorites. The record number of building permits issued last year reflects our commitment to meeting the needs of our evolving community with innovative solutions and solid partnerships,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
The city has adopted the province's Housing Pledge to add 13,000 new housing units over the next 10 years.
