Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Ahmed Hussen makes affordable housing announcement in Windsor, July 30, 2021 (Photo by Maureen Revait)Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Ahmed Hussen makes affordable housing announcement in Windsor, July 30, 2021 (Photo by Maureen Revait)
Windsor

More affordable housing units to be built

The federal government is investing $9.3 million to build 35 new affordable housing units in Windsor-Essex.

Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development Ahmed Hussen announced the funding through the Rapid Housing Initiative on Friday morning. This fund requires the units to be built in just 12 months.

"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Today's funding through the Rapid Housing Initiative will go a long way to support those who need it most by quickly providing 35 new affordable homes for vulnerable individuals and families in Windsor to keep them safe. This is one of the ways our National Housing Strategy continues to ensure no one is left behind."

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says this is one piece of a puzzle to address the housing crisis in the region.

"Every incremental investment that is made is positive and helps provide housing for people who need housing and there is no doubt that we've seen the real estate price escalate in our community dramatically over the last five years that has put pressure on a lot of families and people looking to buy their first house," said Dilkens.

The City of Windsor and County of Essex will need to provide around $10-million to operate these units once they are up and running.

"They will be supporting youth, families, some of whom may be fleeing domestic violence, people with disabilities, and that's the primary populations that we're looking at," said Debbie Cercone, Executive Director of Housing and Children’s Services at City of Windsor.

According to city services, there are over 5,800 households on a waiting list for affordable housing in the community.

The Meadowbrook Lane affordable housing development is still under construction and will be available for rent in August 2022. The 10-storey, 145-unit project will include 76 affordable housing units.

In addition, the federal government also provided $90 million at the beginning of the year to renovate and refurbish the existing affordable housing stock in the city.

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