The City of Windsor is looking at improving its social housing strategy, as it could soon hit an infrastructure deficit of $60-million.
Windsor Council decided to dedicate more than $600,000 for repairs to its housing stock this week, but CAO Helga Reidel admits it's really a patchwork solution. "We are looking for, eventually, senior level government funding," she explains. "We have lobbied, through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities. They are actively in discussions with the federal and provincial governments, regarding housing funding."
The city hasn't put money into its social housing reserve fund since 2011, and right now there aren't any plans to set aside dollars until 2018.
In the meantime, Reidel says Windsor is maximizing what funding it gets from upper levels of government and stretching its reserve.
Taking advantage of equity value in its housing stock to create funds, which would be used to restore the dwellings, could be one option put before council this year.