Housing and tariff response are issues that are top of mind this week for Windsor mayoral candidates Drew Dilkens and Fred Francis.
At a campaign stop in west Windsor, Dilkens committed to facilitating the construction of 5,000 more residential units in his next term as mayor.
He said he'd like to facilitate the construction of a co-op housing facility, dubbed Solidarity Tower 2.0, at the site of the former St. Mike's Adult High School on Detroit Street.
"It's a unique concept that Solidarity Towers employed when they first opened the doors; that is, every person who lives there in the co-op actually has to pay a fee, so they're actually not just renters in an apartment building; they're actually part owners of the development, and you can see how well cared for a facility like that is," said Dilkens.
Dilkens said he'll also start planning a Meadowbrook 2.0 housing development for affordable housing units.
To encourage housing development throughout the city, he says he'll reduce development charges by 70 per cent for the next four years. In June, Windsor City Council approved lowering development charges by 70 per cent to access grants from the provincial and federal governments.
Mayoral candidate Fred Francis focused on a tariff response action plan in his latest platform release. To help businesses affected by tariffs, he says he'll freeze city fees for permitting, licensing, and development.
"Windsor needs to be better prepared and plan accordingly to support the local economy, businesses, and workers through this difficult time. My Tariff Response Action Plan will provide support for industries and workers who are most affected by American tariffs,” said Francis.
He'd also like to establish a help desk at City Hall to provide assistance to these businesses.
There are nine other candidates running for mayor, including Benjamin Danyluk, Aaron Day, Dylon Graves, Tara Grayer, Nick Kolasky, Tristan Ty Morencie, Kat Pasquach, Patrick Sutherland, and Louis Vautopic.
Election Day is October 26, but advance voting starts this weekend.
