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“We’re making this investment because we realize the importance and what it’s going to mean to people in our community,” he said.

Dilkens noted “nearly every” home in Windsor that went up for sale in the last five years was the subject of a bidding war.

“You would say if you own a home, ‘that’s really great, I really appreciate the increase in the value of my home,’” he said. “There are a lot of folks in the community who don’t own a home who are being squeezed out. We know that because we see our affordable housing wait list climbing from 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, hitting 5,000 people who are looking for good, safe, quality, affordable housing.”

Photo by Dax Melmer / jpg

The Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation will own 3100 Meadowbrook Lane.

“We have a homeless and growing affordability problem, and the leadership of Mayor Dilkens and council have given us the framework to suggest solutions,” said Chief Executive Officer Jim Steele. “This really is about people and it’s about matching their needs with an appropriate affordable home that we need more of in Windsor and Essex County.”

Along with providing badly needed housing, the building will also be good for the environment. It will be built with heightened “passive housing” standards for energy efficiency, with an expected 55 per cent reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions compared to similarly sized developments.

“Passive housing is an investment in good environmental stewardship,” said Vaughan. “It means that this particular project is not going to damage the environment as it lands in this community, but in fact will aid and contribute to reducing the greenhouse gases that are emitting from this residential space and also help us with our climate change goals.”

Vaughan said the project will be the largest passive housing project in Canada.

“We’ve been to lots of passive housing projects,” he said. “They’re usually one storey and usually house 10 to 20 families. This one is fascinating because it shows the way forward in urban centres that can take 10-storey buildings.”

twilhelm@postmedia.com

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