Windsor mayoral candidates lay out plans for crime and affordable housing
CBC News | Posted: September 28, 2022 10:31 PM | Last Updated: September 28, 2022
Drew Dilkens and Chris Holt outlined their visions for the city
One of Windsor's major mayoral candidates outlined a plan to make Windsor streets safer Wednesday that included outlawing panhandling, and Jim Wilson wasn't a fan.
Drew Dilkens, who was first elected mayor in 2014, is running again in the Oct. 24 election. Both he and his main challenger, Chris Holt, held press conferences Wednesday. Holt pledged to build 25,000 housing units over the next decade. Dilkens pledged a plan on public safety that included an anti-panhandling bylaw.
Wilson, who was panhandling at Wyandotte Street and Ouellette Avenue downtown, says he's not in favour of such a bylaw. He said a few bad apples have given panhandlers a bad name.
The Windsor Goodfellows also stood at the intersection last year around Christmas, he said. When they did, Wilson said, he even pitched in.
"Me and a friend made a bunch of wreaths, crosses and Christmas stuff," he said. "We handed them out and saved half the money. The proceeds went to buy presents for the homeless and we bought 100 presents."
Wilson said some panhandlers have left the public with a bad impression.
"It's too bad a few make it bad for others," he said. "I started this about six years ago. I was the only one out here for a couple of years. Now there's 100 or so people."
At his press conference, Dilkens issued a seven-point plan to make Windsor streets safer.
"I've been hearing enough from neighbours and residents that it's time for new, stronger action to be taken," he said.
At the same time, in his own address to the media, Holt pledged to build more housing units. Holt, an outgoing city councillor, said that actually ties in with making Windsor streets safer.
"We need to identify what's happening in our downtown not as a criminal problem, but as a health-care problem," he said.
"We criminalize the people that we see panhandling in the medians. We criminalize the people that are desperate and in need. We need to move forward with investments in our [Homelessness and Housing Help] Hub. We need to fast track all those investments that we're talking about."
"We need to make a firm commitment to create more homes for Windsorites and cut the time it takes to get shovels in the ground," he said.
"Responsible leadership does this with proper planning in mind with a keen eye on our own financial position."
Candidates respond to opponent's plan with their own
When asked about housing, Dilkens brought up his record of creating affordable units in the city.
"Our city is the No. 1 city in the country per capita of moving people from homelessness into housing," he said. "That is our record and I stand on that record and I commit to doing more as the mayor of the city because I recognize the challenges there."
Dilkens and Holt are running against Benjamin Danyluk, Aaron Day, Matthew Giancola, Ernie Lamont and Louis Vaupotic.
CBC News contacted each of those candidates via email to learn about their vision on affordable housing and crime.
In an emailed statement, Vaupotic expressed frustration over some recent criminal incidents that have affected him personally. He said the justice system seems to "embolden criminals" but he wants to see community service as restitution for minor issues, with escalating punishments.
On affordable housing, Vaupotic said that he favours the idea of cooperative development with some affordable units. He suggested that there could be a "quality rating score" for tenants to be eligible, and that the city could provide financial incentives such as a tax break on the units.
"The biggest deterrent to new construction is financing during the build," he said.
Giancola said, "Our governments have set up a system where the homeless are neglected but inmates in prison receive shelter, food, heating, air conditioning, healthcare, recreational programs, rehabilitation and education."
"If elected mayor, I would like to make these opportunities more accessible to our homeless and impoverished populations through targeted city programs and development with additional funding from higher levels of government."
Danyluk declined to provide immediate comment.
Election Day is Oct. 24 and advance voting begins on Oct. 5.
Corrections:- A previous story described Holt's plan as building 25,000 affordable housing units. The units were not described as affordable. September 29, 2022 7:53 PM