The MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh says plans related to Windsor's Homelessness and Housing Help Hub have been presented to various provincial ministry officials.
On Tuesday, the City of Windsor announced the permanent home of H4 will be located on property in the 700-block of Wellington Avenue near Wyandotte Street West.
Mayor Drew Dilkens told AM800 the city reviewed more than 200 sites after issuing an expression of interest in January of last year.
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 $50-million project needs the support of the provincial and federal governments, and Andrew Dowie says plans have already
Dowie says the province funds social supports and healthcare services, and this is no different.
"City council to its credit has been working on the H4 hub for a long, long time. They've brought forward a great package and I've taken the opportunity already to bring that forward to the various ministry officials who are pretty encouraged by what they see."
He says all that's left now is to iron out the business case around the specifics.
"The concept is something that I think is very attractive, now it's a matter of how will the operations go. What is the actual ask of the province in terms of the funding, what services would be delivered, and then trying to put together that envelope of where the different pockets of funding would come from. Not everything is in one unified ministry as I learn day in and day out."
Dowie says there's things to still figure out, but he believes it's an important and attractive project for the community.
"We need supports for mental, it's the top priority for the Ontario Health team which is the coordinating body for all of our local service providers. It's what we hear time and time again as the top issue for the residents of Ontario. I've been on the budget committee for two years now and I've heard it repeatedly. So the investments are needed and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next."
The city has its part ready to go in terms of budget and land acquisition, and officials say they're now moving to expropriate the land west of Crawford Avenue.
- with files from AM800's The Dan MacDonald Show