It’s time we had a budget that delivers what’s needed
From geared-to-income housing, transit, trails and more, let’s invest in Windsor
Money for housing, but not enough, a significant investment in transit and money for roads, sewers, homeless outreach and libraries — Windsor’s draft 2020 budget is about building a city in ways big and small.
More than 5,700 households in Windsor and Essex County need rent-geared-to-income. But we don’t have enough, so we’re violating Ontario’s Housing Services Act.
The city is recommending a new housing subsidy that will cost $750,000 a year. To pay for it, housing services needs a $250,000 budget increase, with the city paying $162,694 and the county paying $87,306.
It’s not known yet how many people waiting for affordable housing would finally get it.
Still, it’s the best immediate step because we need affordable housing now. But we also need a long-term plan.
The Windsor Essex Community Housing Corp.’s social housing stock is old, and requests for more money for repairs like new roofs have been continually deferred. Now, the stock is “at significant risk,” the budget states. Poor building conditions could lead to loss of units. The unfunded liability is estimated at $148 million over 10 years.
CHC asked for an extra $3 million in 2018 for “urgent” and “high priority” work. It was approved — for 2021 and 2022.
There were requests for $11 million in 2024 and 2025 and $10 million in 2026 and 2027. All declined.
The city committed $12 million for Meadowbrook, which will add 145 affordable housing units. And it’s getting $11.4 million from the province.
But we need far more. Unless there is a lot of money for housing in the new asset management plan, this is the biggest problem — by far — with this budget.
“We can’t be at the point where we’re losing housing stock,” said Coun. Kieran Mckenzie.
Ottawa’s draft budget called for $15 million for affordable housing — for the second straight year.
Buses will run more frequently on Sundays, and they’ll run later under a long-sought investment recommended for Transit Windsor.
Buses on main lines run only every 40 to 60 minutes on Sundays. Feeder lines run only every 60 to 90 minutes. Service ends at 7 p.m.
With an influx of riders from the college and university, buses are overloaded and would-be passengers have to wait for the next one. It’s one of the biggest complaints.
Transit Windsor wants to add 136 hours of service on Sundays, a 50-per-cent increase.
It will cost $842,000. But the city’s gas tax revenue is rising because it’s based on the number of people who ride buses.
Improving service on Sundays is one of the recommendations of a report calling for a drastic overhaul of bus service starting next year.
The budget also recommends up to over half a million dollars for software to plan routes and schedules, which will be integral to the overhaul.
But there’s no money for a study to determine if Transit Windsor should expand its existing garage on North Service Road or build a new one. That’s also key to the overhaul. The existing garage is at capacity and can’t house additional buses needed for more routes.
Transit Windsor is hoping it will have a surplus this year to pay for the study. If it doesn’t, it will “try to find the money,” said executive director Pat Delmore.
Finally, the overhaul will cost tens of millions of dollars in operating and capital funds over the next eight years. Senior governments, gas tax revenue and fares will pay for some of it.
But, said Coun. Rino Bortolin, “We’re not explicitly setting aside money now. To me, that’s not enough of a commitment.”
If we’re serious about transit — to get people to jobs, cut greenhouse gas emissions — we need to invest in it. With more riders and grants from senior governments, now is the time to do it.
And if we’re spending all this money on bus service, a monthly bus pass should be cheaper than a monthly parking permit downtown. It isn’t, not even close.
More than $700 million of the eight-year $1.2 billion capital budget will be spent on roads and sewers. But there are many small yet important investments in the operating and capital budgets.
■ $69,926 for a second permanent outreach worker for homeless people. The position is funded temporarily. We know we need it.
■ $91,480 for an active transportation co-ordinator. Council approved this last July. But it also needs money to implement the plan. Council will receive an implementation plan before it approves the city budget.
“People are really buying into the idea of walkable neighbourhoods,” said Coun. Chris Holt. Now is the time to do this. $91,480 for someone to direct the Community Energy Plan. This position was also funded temporarily. The plan, approved more than two years ago, includes “ambitious and transformative” targets like reducing per capita energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent from 2014 by 2041. But it needs someone to lead the plan. It’s labelled one of the highest priority increases. We should commit to this.
■ $98,412 for staff to open all libraries on Fridays. The four part-time staff were funded temporarily. People expect libraries to be open Fridays.
■ $100,000 for trail maintenance. There are 131 kilometres of asphalt trails and multiple stone trails. People love them. But 80 per cent need significant repair. This would double the budget.
■ $50,000 to improve drainage in parks. Sixty per cent of parks don’t have adequate drainage. When it rains, they flood. Kids’ soccer games and other events are cancelled. The city can’t cut the grass, either. Time to fix this.
Taxes would rise 3.6 per cent under the draft budget. Mayor Drew Dilkens would like to limit the increase to inflation, about two per cent. But some councillors say we might need a higher increase, 2.5 per cent. There are a lot of needs, and the city is growing. Our taxes are below the provincial average in nine of 12 classes. We need to invest. That’s justifiable.