Windsorites receiving rent subsidy in 'fear' of funding expiration

Windsor resident Sarah Bondy says the expiration of rental subsidies could force her, and others who are living with disabilities and on a fixed income, onto the streets.  

"We depend on these subsidies to live independently and to be members of a community," Bondy told City of Windsor councillors during Monday's council meeting. 

"There's a constant fear of, especially in today's financial climate, these subsidies getting taken away and, like, where would that leave us?"

Following some discussion, councillors decided to ask the provincial and federal governments to extend funding for rent subsidy programs that are set to expire in the coming years. 

The earliest is set to expire by the end of March for at least 88 households. 

A January report from the city noted that 551 households in Windsor-Essex will soon need to find another way to pay rent as some government-funded programs are coming to an end. According to the report, the ending of these programs could increase affordable housing demand, evictions and homelessness in a region where the affordable housing wait list has more than 5,000 people. 

At this time, the city's executive director of housing and children's services, Debbie Cercone, said they have found alternative options available for those people who would lose funding in the next two months. 

But, she said without more funding announced by the provincial and federal governments, they won't be able to accommodate everyone currently enrolled in programs that expire in 2023 and 2024. 

Housing agency unable to offer subsidies to clients

Joyce Zuk, the executive director of Family Services Windsor-Essex, told CBC News that while it's great the city will advocate for more funding, she said she would have liked to see it step up to offer financial support for those subsidies that are immediately expiring. 

"At the end of the day if the province does not step up with this funding, the burden is really worn and shows on the face of city streets," she said. 

Since people are being shifted from expiring programs on to to others, Zuk said there are fewer rent supplements available to offer. As a result, for the last three months, she said her organization hasn't been able to put new clients on a rent subsidy. 

She said that leaves her agency to either find someone experiencing homelessness a rental that they can afford without additional support or add them to the waiting list for rent-geared-to-income housing.  

Zuk previously told CBC News that rent supplements often provide someone with a portion of their rent, typically between $400 and $500 each month. She said she thinks the government will eventually step up and offer the additional funding to support people. 

CBC News reached out to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, but has yet to receive a response. 

Meanwhile, the NDP MPP for Windsor West, Lisa Gretzky, said the government shouldn't be leaving people in such a state of "uncertainty." 

"The municipality and the individuals that they support through these programs should never have been put in the situation that they have been the last few months, there should have been some clarification and some certainty from the government long ago," she said adding that funding and long-term solutions are needed so that people aren't in limbo.