A member of city council wants to know what other cities in Ontario are doing when it comes to housing the homeless and if methods like building tiny homes would help Windsor.
At the next meeting of council, Ward 1's Fred Francis plans to ask administration for a report on what other communities are doing and if there are options like tiny homes could be implemented immediately to help people experiencing homelessness find temporary housing.
Francis points to what's being done in places like Kitchener-Waterloo, which is building tiny homes to help get people off the street and into temporary housing.
He thinks most people would agree that if the city could embark on this, it's better than tent encampments popping up.
"If we could look at options where the city can essentially make an investment to provide these tiny homes for people experiencing homelessness that keeps encampments from popping up across the city, I think that could be a benefit for not only the people experiencing homelessness but obviously the residents and neighbourhoods that are currently concerned," he says.
Francis says the city's focus right now is developing a new H4 hub in the west-end, which is great, but it's a number of years out.
"If there's an option we can do in the immediate term, where we could build essentially tiny homes or tiny living spaces for people that are experiencing homelessness that's gets them out of the downtown, gets them out of our neighbourhood, be it in South Windsor, East Windsor, or wherever, and into some kind of stable living environment," he says.
On April 30, 2024, the city announced a new Homelessness and Housing Help Hub, or H4, would be located in the 700 block of Wellington Avenue near Wyandotte Street West.
The seven acre site is expected to include enough space to develop at least 64 one-bedroom permanent supportive housing units, common spaces for programming, services, and other amenities.
The city will be seeking provincial and federal financial assistance to establish the new H4, which is expected to cost around $60 million.
Francis wants to know if there's an option we can do right now to help get people experiencing homelessness into a stable living environment.
"Until the proper services can be provided to them and they can get back on their feet, I'd like to know if that is an option and what the pros and cons of that option would be. Obviously what the cost of that would be and if the cost benefit makes sense," he says.
The next meeting of city council is set for Monday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. at 350 Windsor City Hall Square.