The results are in for the first year of Windsor’s vacant home tax program, with $213,717 in revenue being brought in for the city.
The program officially launched on March 27, 2024, and is designed to boost the housing supply in the city by encouraging property owners to rent or sell properties that are sitting vacant.
Under the program, homes unoccupied for more than 183 days in any given taxation year would be issued a three per cent levy on top of the regular property taxes, if the owner could not provide documentation disputing the classification.
In the first year, the city investigated around 250 complaints and, in the end, issued fines to 139 property owners.
Once all the costs were deducted, the city was left with $213,717 in revenue that was transferred to the city’s Housing Reserve Fund to assist with housing-related programs, projects, and initiatives.
Windsor’s Commissioner of Finance and Treasurer Janice Guthrie, said they really think it can be considered a success story for the first year of the program, adding a number of people also took steps to comply with the bylaw.
“Once we sent out the declarations and we contacted them, they sold the property so somebody could have a home; they rented the property, and other property owners took out building permits to complete the renovations needed,” she said.
Another stipulation of the program is that any property owner who deliberately falsifies information on the declaration will also be issued a $3,500 fine.
There are some exemptions to the program, like if a property is up for sale, if the owners are making renovations, or if the homeowner has died and the family is trying to settle the future of the property.
The program is complaint-driven, and residents who suspect a property is vacant can report it by calling 311.
— Rusty Thomson/AM800 News
