Windsor city council doubles down on housing fund decision

Windsor city council is sticking with its decision not to permit fourplexes on all lots in the city, moving to submit an application to a massive federal housing fund without meeting that condition.

But the city will study the issue further, including through public consultation, after a vote by councillors. 

At a public budget meeting Monday, councillors opted 8 to 3 to submit its Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) application as is — which would allow four units by right in some parts of the city but not all.

Four units by right is considered the "minimum ticket" to the up to $70 million in HAF funding on offer by the federal government. 

"This motion today allows you to go through a public consultation process where you will get that evidence before making a final decision," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. "This is not about saying no, it's about spelling out the path that will allow us to move forward."

Dilkens said the city's current application would allow four units by right along 50 kilometres of city residential streets. That's in areas where transit and other infrastructure can support added density, he said. 

But other councillors said they thought the move was a mistake. 

"At the root of this, this funding is about housing and funding housing. But this debate is about how we build our future and housing is central to how we build out city," said Ward 2 Coun. Fabio Costante. "With the evidence before us that we have, I think we are making a big mistake."

Councillors said they'd heard from residents who staunchly opposed four units by right, with Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac calling the federal government's addition of the four-unit requirement "beyond ridiculous."

The city has previously said its application was approved and submitted last summer, before the federal government added the four-unit-by-right condition. 

While Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie said he thought saying no to four units by right was "missing an opportunity for leadership," Dilkens says he believed the decision was the opposite. 

"Leadership is about making sure you don't let money sway you into making a bad decision," Dilkens said. 

Council voted 8 to 3 to submit the application as-is and study the issue further; the dissenting votes were from Kieran McKenzie, Ward 3. Coun Renaldo Agostino and Costante. 

City planner, also chair of regional planning group, meets with province 

Thom Hunt is the City of Windsor's longtime planner and also chairs the Regional Planning Commissioners of Ontario, a group of senior municipal planners that support planning best practices in Ontario. 

"What they were asking for was a lot of flexibility on getting the HAF funding approved because all sorts of options on the table — really important, right?" Hunt said.

"Housing affordability is the big issue. The way you achieve that is through added density. So this kind of application is very important to support because it provides that opportunity for the city to grow and intensify in ways that will be more affordable for folks to have a future house in the future."