Windsor city council has given unanimous approval to a plan for 40 transitional housing units designed for women and children escaping domestic violence. The decision was made during Monday's meeting with minimal debate.
Project Details and Funding
The $26-million initiative spearheaded by Hiatus House aims to secure financial backing from higher levels of government. Maggie Durocher, the organization's fundraising and development co-ordinator, informed council that the emergency shelter operates at full capacity nearly every day of the year. She noted that last month alone, 31 children were housed with their mothers.
Durocher described the most challenging aspect of running the shelter as the limitation of an eight-week stay. After this period, some women and children resort to couch-surfing with friends, while others may return to live with the abuser they fled. Transitional housing, planned for a site across the street from the shelter on Louis Avenue, would provide mothers and their children with a stable foundation to rebuild their lives.
Community and Government Support
Hiatus House has already acquired and cleaned the land, secured necessary zoning and municipal variance approvals, and completed designs ready for construction. Durocher confirmed that representatives from both federal and provincial governments have reached out to discuss the project, which has raised over $2 million in community funding. She emphasized ongoing dialogue with these officials, indicating interest in the proposal.
Hiatus House has submitted funding requests to Ontario's Ministry of Children and Community Services capital branch and Build Canada Homes, a new federal agency focused on affordable housing. The organization sought a written endorsement from city council because upper levels of government require evidence of local support for projects they are asked to fund. Durocher stated, "It speaks a great deal for this community, to show the kind of support that we do have, and how we are all working together."
Construction is expected to be completed by July 2028.
