Downtown doing too much ‘heavy lifting’ on Windsor’s shelter system, says councillor

City council proposes moving the homeless shelter out of downtown as they look to see what other municipalities do. CTV Windsor’s Sanjay Maru reports.

A Windsor city councillor has called for a report on how other cities determine shelter locations — and whether Windsor should reevaluate its own recommendation to locate the city’s permanent Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) with a two-kilometre radius of the core.

Agostino said the motion is a response to growing frustrations from business owners and residents in the downtown, where most of Windsor’s emergency shelters and social services are concentrated.

“In the past three days, I’ve witnessed a street brawl, cars getting scratched across multiple blocks, and someone walking into a medical clinic and [falsely] claiming they had a bomb strapped to their back,” Agostino told councillors.

Speaking during the May 12 meeting of Windsor city council, Agostino argued downtown Windsor has become a “destination point” for people struggling with homelessness, mental illness and addiction — not because that’s where the issues originate, but because services have been centralized there.

“What we’re doing right now clearly is not working,” Agostino said. “Downtown Windsor is doing the heavy lifting, not just for the city but for the entire region.”

His motion directs administration to re-examine the two-kilometre buffer — a policy that stems from a 2022 consultant report recommending H4 be located near the concentration of services in the downtown.

Agostino also requested a broader review of what other Ontario municipalities are doing to place shelters more equitably across their cities.

“We need a full review of everything we’re doing and what’s working,” said Agostino. “Because it’s not helping people to visit our shelters and then 15 minutes later be out buying drugs in the parking lot.”

During Monday’s meeting, Agostino cited recent comments from Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie who has publicly argued that downtowns should be economic engines and not default sites for social services.

The idea struck a chord with Nick Amlin, a military veteran living in downtown Windsor, who said safety concerns near local shelters have taken a mental toll — especially on families with children living in the neighbourhood.

“I have more stress in my home and being around my home than I had with the 10 months I spent in Afghanistan, literally at war with the Taliban,” Amlin said.

The H4 facility is planned for permanent relocation and currently operates temporarily on Wyandotte Street East.

Agostino said he believes it’s time to consider whether such hubs should remain concentrated near other services like the Downtown Mission, the Salvation Army and the Welcome Centre for Women and Families — all within or near the city’s core.

Mayor Drew Dilkens backed the review, suggesting the city may have “unnecessarily limited” itself by sticking to the two-kilometre guideline.

“We need to expand our horizons and figure out where we can place this facility with the least amount of negative impact on surrounding businesses and neighborhoods,” he said.

“We all want to help people, but while helping them, it doesn’t mean they can go out and exhibit behaviours that none of us find tolerable but don’t surpass the limit of criminality.”

But Ward 2 Councillor Fabio Costante pushed back.

He pointed to the city’s own expert report as the reason for maintaining the existing radius, arguing that moving H4 further out would go against evidence-based practices.

“This is a very comprehensive challenge that requires a very comprehensive solution,” said Costante. “Cutting off access to services will eventually do more harm than good.”

He also warned against making reactive decisions based on political pressure, calling the idea of expanding the radius an “exercise in leaf blowing.”

Costante acknowledged the real challenges facing the downtown — and the perception problem that comes with it — but said broader revitalization needs more than just shuffling services around.

“This is a jurisdictional issue. We need provincial and federal support,” he said. “Moving things around, in and of itself, is not going to solve the problem.”

During Monday’s meeting, city administration said a report will be produced “as soon as possible,” but acknowledged the complexity of the request will make it difficult to complete by the next council meeting in two weeks.