Windsor city council approves plan to create large-scale housing hub - Action News
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Windsor

Windsor city council approves plan to create large-scale housing hub

Trueman Dow has been on the streets for about three monthsand says while he's happy the city has approved a new housing hub, he says the timeline is "a life sentence"for most people.

City says the permanent hub is likely to open in five years

People experiencing homelessness sit outside of a temporary shelter in downtown Windsor.
People experiencing homelessness sit outside of a temporary shelter in downtown Windsor. A plan to open a permanent homeless hub in Windsor has been approved by Windsor City Council. (Jennifer La Grassa/CBC)

Trueman Dow has been living on the streets for about three monthsand says while he's happy the City of Windsor has approved a permanenthousing hub, he says the timeline is "a life sentence"for people experiencing homelessness.

On Tuesday, Windsor City Councilunanimouslyapproved a more comprehensive and permanent version of a temporary hub that opened in the former Water World building, aimed at addressing homelessness in the city.

The city expects the hubto open in five years, but Dow feels that is too long.

"Five years might as well be a life sentence for most people," said Dow."They go into the drugs, they end up everywhere."

A man with a beard wearing a blue t-shirt and a baseball cap
Trueman Dow has been without a home in Windsor for three months. He is not pleased the new housing hub is taking five years to open. (Jason Viau/CBC)

The current hub located at the former Water World site onWyandotte Street East opened in 2020as a shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, council approved a motionfor administration to search for a permanent and large location to offer the services.

"This shows that our council is concerned and wants to help our community and help those who are homeless," said Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, executive director of the Downtown Mission of Windsor.

The city's administration will now look for locations of up to 100,000 sq. ft. The final location will include affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness, and other supports. Servicesfor peopleinvolved in the justice system, and people with mental health issues or substance addictions will be within two kilometres of the hub.

The exterior of a water park with a sign
Water World is currently being used as a temporary homeless hub in Windsor. The facility opened as a hub during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Jason Viau/CBC)

A city report says people who need these types of services arefalling through the cracks.

The housing hub plan is a collaborative effort among city organizations, includingthe Downtown Mission.

"We're willing to work with the city and all of the other partners at the hub to make sure the individuals who are in those transitional units will be supported and served so that they don't end up back in a homeless situation," said Ponniah-Goulin.

A woman wearing a sleeveless black dress and a blue lanyard
Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin is the executive director of the Downtown Mission of Windsor. Her organization will be part of the new collaborative housing hub. (Jason Viau/CBC)

The city found that on one night in March 2021, 251 people were homeless. This is a 27 per centincrease from 2018.

Dowsaid he liked the idea of the city planning to offer Windsorites affordable housing,but hopes that the city follows through with it.

"That's the biggest problem right now; affordable housing," he said. "There are rooms on Kijiji for $1,100. We can't afford $1,100; we're lucky to get $600. That's most people on the streets and even then, they don't even get that."

"Windsor is not going to get any better without [the hub]. It's not going to get any better without the housing complexes"

The costs of creating the hub are not known, but the city said they will be reaching out to higher levels of government to request funding for the new hub.

With files from Jason Viau