Windsor councillor calls for preventative approach to homelessness in downtown

A Windsor city councillor says the city needs to focus more on preventing homelessness, rather than only responding once people are already unhoused.

Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino, who represents the downtown core, says the city needs to “start playing defence” by learning what other municipalities are doing to help keep people housed, including the use of rent subsidy programs.

Agostino is awaiting a report from city administration after council passed a motion he introduced at its April 13 meeting, calling for information on several issues related to mental health, addiction and homelessness.

The motion followed an update on the Strengthen the Core – Downtown Windsor Revitalization Plan, launched in May 2024. The plan is aimed at improving safety, cleanliness and business growth in the downtown, including efforts to address the impact of mental health challenges, addiction and homelessness.

While Agostino says supports for people experiencing homelessness remain critical, he believes more effort is needed for those at risk of losing housing.

“The more defence you play, the fewer goals you have to score,” he says, adding the city is currently spending significant sums responding to people once they are already unhoused.

Agostino says poverty is a root cause of homelessness and wants the city to assess whether approaches used elsewhere could help keep residents in their homes.

“What are we doing to address that as a municipality?” he asks. “Are there other municipalities doing things that we aren’t doing that are helping to move the needle?”

He says preventing homelessness by keeping people housed should be a core part of the city’s strategy.

Agostino says the goal is not to increase spending, but to determine whether existing dollars are being used as effectively as possible.

“Keeping people in their homes, keeping people housed, and giving people more support so we don’t have to spend more money on them on the back end,” he says. “How do we keep people away from that?”

He says rent subsidies and similar programs should be examined to determine whether they could save money in the long term while helping people who need support the most.

A report outlining options to help divert people away from homelessness is expected to be presented at a future meeting of Windsor city council.