A local organization is getting a boost to help tackle the housing shortage in Windsor-Essex.
Through the federal government's The Housing Supply Challenge, Family Services Windsor-Essex has been awarded $200,000 to develop an online tool to track and analyze additional dwelling units, or tiny homes, within single-detached zoning districts.
Family Services executive director Joyce Zuk says the goal is to influence future policy.
"The tool that we actually create will help homeowners, developers and policy makers to understand what the impact of ADUs (Additional Dwelling Units) are and help them to make better policy decisions."
If successful, Zuk says the tool could be used in other regions.
"We're hoping that the tool that we actually create, our local model and program, can be eventually scaled and used right across the country," she says.
We're working with a tight deadline, Zuk adds, but says they've called in some help to get the project done.
"We're really happy to be working with the Centre of Cities at the University of Windsor and the Cross Border Institute. Our timeline is actually pretty tight. We have to have our project completed by the beginning of September."
Last fall, Ottawa pledged $300-million in funding over the next five years challenging citizens, stakeholders and experts from across the country to come up with ways to remove the barriers hindering the housing supply.
With its $200,000 grant Family Services Windsor-Essex will bring together a team of local researchers to gather data from across the region.
— With files from AM800's Kristylee Varley