Windsor gets 145 new social and affordable housing units through Meadowbrook apartments

Meadowbrook, a new housing development in Windsor's east-end, is slated to open this spring. The 145-unit building at 3100 Meadowbrook Lane will put a dent in the local housing shortage. 

The $22 million federally funded building was announced in April 2019. It is opening almost three years behind schedule, with residents being able to move May 2023. 

The building will have 76 affordable rental units that will house tenants through city housing programs and will offer a mix of bachelor, one bedroom and three bedroom units. 

The remaining 69 units will be rented out at market prices. 

Jay Shanmugan, senior manager of construction for the Windsor-Essex Community Housing Corporation (WECHC), said the mix of affordable and market price units will make the building financially sustainable. 

"This building, unlike others, requires no operating subsidies from our service manager or the taxpayer. So essentially this building is going to run itself. It's going to put aside the required amount of capital for any repairs that may come.

The units opened applications last week and Shanmugan said WECHC has received "countless applications on the market side." 

Shanmugan said the housing corporation is also going through the central housing list and short-listing renters for the community housing units. 

New building meets 'highest global standard in sustainable design'

The Meadowbrook building, according to Shanmugan, was built to "the highest global standard in sustainable design." 

He said the building was made with extremely thick insulation, triple paned windows, a 24-hour fresh air ventilation system, and, according to him, will emit 45% less greenhouse gas than the average apartment building of its size.

"This building, when you compare it to other buildings in Windsor, is one of the healthiest buildings in winter," he said, referring to the ventilation system. 

He said the efficiency will also help residents cut down on utility costs. 

Units a small step toward addressing housing crisis

WECHC CEO Cynthia Summers said the development will at least remove some off the waitlist for affordable housing, which she estimates is 6,000 people long. Some wait listed residents say they will have to wait up to 10 years for a unit. 

"We're in a bit of a crisis right now," she said, referring to Windsor's lack of affordable housing. 

But Summers said the government's attention to the issue by all three levels of government is a good sign that there will be future projects like Meadowbrook for WECHC. 

"Regardless of party affiliation, everyone is now recognizing that this is a crisis and not just in Windsor. Across the country," she said. 

"I think that [WECHC is] going to be viewed by all three levels of government as a reputable, credible group to do more building." 

WECHC has other projects ongoing in Windsor, including a 15-bedroom 'youth-at-risk' housing development for Family Services and an additional 50 or so affordable housing units under construction across the city.