Meadowbrook housing development back on track
CMHC loan guarantee approved by city council.
An affordable housing development on Windsor's east end is back on track.
City council held a special meeting Monday to authorize a loan of $5 million from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It will cover some cost increases to the Meadowbrook Development project which has led to its delay.
The high rise development on Meadowbrook Lane has been delayed due to some unforeseen challenges and the COVID-19 shutdown. The housing development will feature 145 affordable units and five supportive units for youth. The whole development is called passive, meaning it is extremely energy efficient.
"I'm so glad it went through because we'd been working on it for some quite a few years," said Marina Clemens, Chair of the Windsor Housing and Homeless Advisory Committee.
"This is the future. This is what we want. Energy efficient, comfortable, affordable housing."
The $38.7 million project was announced last August with $22 million coming from the federal government, $12 million from the city and $4 million from the province. It was supposed to be complete by the end of the year. The addition of some square footage and the discovery of a problem with the soil has led to design changes which added to the cost. Costs also changed over time since the proposal was submitted in 2018.
"The biggest one is the housing costs escalation in our region," said Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie, who also sits on the Housing and Homelessness Committee. "Over the last two or three years we've seen some significant increases."
The loan will be paid to the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation and repaid through the revenue the project will generate through rent. City council also had to guarantee the loan.
The new completion date is now August of 2022.