Latest news with #RenaldoAgostino
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Windsor council broadens search for homelessness hub, eyes city-wide options
Windsor City council is expanding the search for a site to locate a permanent homelessness and housing help hub. During Monday's meeting, council voted to look beyond a two-kilometre radius of the downtown core and instead explore options right across the city. The city's current Homelessness and Housing Help Hub, or H4, was opened in 2020 in the former Water World at Wyandotte Street East and Glengarry Avenue, but the city has been looking for a location to build a permanent expanded site that could house various wraparound support services. In 2022, a feasibility study by Glos Arch + Eng proposed that any site for a permanent H4 be walkable to existing community and health services, with most already near downtown, which resulted in the two-kilometre radius being set. The decision to expand the search comes after Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino expressed frustration during the May 12 meeting over the ongoing problems in the city core caused by people dealing with homelessness, mental health, and addiction issues and the proximity of services and homeless shelters in and around downtown. Agostino says location is what matters. 'Not putting handcuffs on ourselves by saying it has to be within this or that,' he says. 'We need to have the best spot that is best for the residents that live in the area. Best for the businesses that operate in that area and best for the people that need the help. Right now all three of those get a failing grade.' Ward 10 Coun. Jim Morrison says this has been three years, and it looks like to the people of Windsor we're doing nothing. 'I certainly fully support this. We need to move forward on this whole issue. I'm not going to sit here and do nothing for another three more years,' he says. The initial search for a permanent site resulted in the city eyeing a property at 700 Wellington Ave., but that was pulled off the table in December 2024 due to the cost of land acquisition. Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie says he reluctantly supports the expanded search but has some serious concerns. 'These are super complex issues. This opens the door to what I think is a significant departure from what we've already established about how we're going to address these issues. There's risk, and I'm taking that risk because I believe in all of us here,' he says. Ward 1 Coun. Fred Francis, who supported the motion, says he wants the search to be driven by professional best practice and data. 'It can't become a political decision. That's my main concern right now; it's moving into the realm of politics, and that's what I want to prevent as much as we can. We're never going to agree to this if it's on politics and politics alone,' he says. Francis is also concerned about how moving further out in the city could impact the organizations they need to help from. 'The further we go out from where the social services are, there's going to be a ripple effect that not only affects the city but also these other organizations, agencies, and programming that currently exist,' he says. Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac did not support the expanded search. 'Municipalities are never going to be able to afford to do it properly without assistance from the upper levels of government. Upper levels of government are not providing even a road map on how the problem would be solved. Period,' says Gignac. City staff will now begin examining potential locations for a permanent H4 and then bring back a list for the council to consider. Once the council has a location narrowed down, the city will seek funding from the provincial and federal governments to build the facility at the new location, which was previously estimated at over $50 million. — Rusty Thomson/AM800 News
CBC
26-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Homelessness and housing help site can relocate anywhere in Windsor, says council
The future permanent location of Windsor's Homelessness and Housing Help Hub will no longer be limited to a two-kilometre radius of the downtown core, council has decided. On Monday, the majority of city council voted to lift the previously-imposed boundaries and allow staff to look for potential H4 sites across Windsor. The H4 is currently temporarily operating out of the former Windsor Water World building at Wyandotte Street East and Glengarry Avenue. The hub operates year-round, offering help and drop-in services to those seeking shelter. It's also an emergency overnight shelter during cold weather. A study that was undertaken by the city in 2022 outlined that the H4 should be located within two kilometres of downtown Windsor. The reasoning was that the help hub should be accessible to those who need its services most, and also be near healthcare services. A property at 700 Wellington Ave. was selected by the city as a permanent site for the H4 — with the proposed facility offering 64 one-bedroom units. Leadership of the Downtown Mission of Windsor said they would re-locate to be closer to the Wellington Avenue site. In late 2024, city council cancelled the plan, citing costs. The new widening of the site-selection process was driven by downtown councillor Renaldo Agostino. At the May 12 council meeting, Agostino questioned the two-kilometre restriction, and argued that the city's efforts to improve the downtown core were "not working." On Monday, Ward 10 Coun. Jim Morrison said he supports expanding the area for the H4 because "it looks like we've been doing nothing." Ward 8 Coun. Gary Kaschak said he's in favour of finding a new site, but he believes a boundary needs to be in place to ensure the H4 is connected to downtown services. Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac agreed. "I think we have to be cognizant of the fact that the community took part in an extensive undertaking," Gignac said. Gignac expressed worry that the city has set expectations for other service providers that the H4 would be downtown. Ward 1 Coun. Fred Francis shared that concern — but he supports expanding where the H4 can be located. "We can't lose sight of what the key objective is, and the ripple effects," Francis said. City staff say more services inside H4 allow for wider site selection At Monday's council meeting, city staff members said they believe improvements to what the H4 offers will allow them to select a site outside the previously determined boundaries. "I don't know if a two-kilometre radius is necessarily best practice," said Dana Paladino, the city's acting commissioner of human and health services. "Location to the emergency room is not as critical as it was." According to Paladino, the H4 now benefits from Shelter Health, a service that provides emergency care for people using shelter spaces. Paladino said mental health care supports are also being added to the H4, and court services are more accessible today because of the prevalence of virtual meetings. As a result of council's decision on Monday, city staff will now consider potential sites for the H4 city-wide, then bring a list for council to review. From there, council will select the site and ask upper levels of government for funding to build the facility.
CBC
14-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
'Out of control': Downtown Windsor councillor urges city to rethink shelter locations
Social Sharing More than a year after the City of Windsor unveiled a sweeping plan to revitalize the downtown core, violent crime and open drug use remain a serious problem, according to the councillor who represents the area. "In the past three days, I've witnessed a street brawl, multiple blocks of cars getting scratched, people chasing down those people that allegedly scratched all the cars," said Ward 3's Renaldo Agostino during Monday's city council meeting. The frustrated councillor urged the city to produce a report on the recommendation that a new homeless shelter be located within a two-kilometre radius of the city's centre, as well as the placement of shelters more broadly. "We need to do something in our downtown core in regards to some of the situations that are happening because of these shelters," he said. "What we're doing right now clearly is not working." Agostino's comments come as Windsor stares down the threat of further economic turmoil should U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs — particularly those affecting the auto industry — continue to result in job losses. But even before Trump was elected to a second term, the city was searching for a spot to build its new Homelessness and Housing Help Hub, known as H4. WATCH | In December, the city said it will continue its search for a future H4 location: City of Windsor announces it'll look elsewhere for future H4 location 5 months ago Duration 2:13 The current H4 facility, which opened as a response to pandemic-related closures, sits in the former Water World building just east of Ouellette Avenue. The city has described using the old aquatic centre as a "make-do" situation in a building that "fails on many fundamental levels of functionality." A 2022 report to council said the new facility "will still require close proximity to emergency shelters, health-care providers, harm reduction pharmacies, in addition to other core community agencies." WATCH | 'It isn't working': Downtown councillor seeks review of shelter location guidelines: 'It isn't working:' Downtown Windsor councillor seeks review of shelter location guidelines 21 hours ago Duration 2:43 One year since the City of Windsor launched its Strengthen the Core plan, downtown councillor Renaldo Agostino is expressing frustration with the state of his ward. He's questioning why homelessness services need to be within two kilometres of the downtown area. CBC's Dalson Chen spoke with the executive director of the Downtown Mission and one of the service's clients — Andre W. Two kilometres was cited by "participants, staff and service providers [...] as the desired distance for the average participant to be able to travel on foot to seek resources, which are primarily located within the boundaries of Ward 3," the report said. Agostino questioned that distance while speaking to reporters after Monday's meeting. "Why is there a two-kilometre radius on this? We should not be in neighbourhoods," he said. "We should not be in business areas. This should not be in a place where we're trying to lift up the area." Earlier during the meeting, Agostino argued those who use shelters or drug treatment centres in the downtown core are "sitting ducks for predators looking to take advantage of those who need the help," referencing drug dealers who he says park outside service centres. Agostino also said the city is spending millions "to try and manage issues that clearly have been out of control." "There is no question [that] downtown Windsor is doing the heavy lifting not just for the city, but for the entire region when it comes to homelessness, mental health and addictions issues," he said. Distance to health-care providers Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, executive director of the Downtown Mission, said her organization needs to be "relatively close" to other service providers, such as the hospital and Canadian Mental Health Association. "When it's further away from shelters, other organizations, the individuals in shelter then can't get to those services as easily. Perhaps they can't get there at all," she said. "If they aren't able to get, you know, a bus or cab […] that sometimes stops them from moving out of shelter." One man who's staying at the Downtown Mission declined to give his full name, but said that problems with open-air drug use and crime would simply follow any new homeless help facility if the city isn't proactive about preventing problems. The man, who's from Florida and arrived in Windsor roughly two months ago, said a larger facility like H4 that provides housing and wraparound services would be helpful, but recommended it be enclosed — and clients be checked in so they aren't wandering the streets. Guelph shelter comparison? Agostino, in his remarks Monday, pointed to another city — Guelph — as a place where officials are looking at moving some shelter services outside the downtown core. However, Guelph's mayor says that's not the whole story. "That's not exactly accurate," Cam Guthrie told CBC Radio's Windsor Morning host Amy Dodge. "We feel that there is a gap in services between the overnight shelter where people are staying versus what's happening during the daytime." Guthrie says they're exploring an additional daytime shelter, but they're also mindful of where it goes in the event someone wants to bring it to the downtown, an area he says is already home to a lot of services and institutions surrounding homelessness. He says the city could put forth a recommendation that includes a geographical area where it doesn't want the shelter to end up. The issue is expected to be discussed at a meeting later this month, according to Guthrie. "I want our downtown cores to be our centre of commerce, entrepreneurial, event, tourism and attraction and the heartbeat for our downtown [...] and not continue to add to social services," Guthrie said. WATCH | Here's what some folks on Windsor's streets want you to know about homelessness: Here's what some folks on Windsor's streets want you to know about homelessness 3 months ago Duration 2:18 Guelph Coun. Erin Caton, who represents Ward 1, said there aren't any plans to move existing social services from the downtown core. "I couldn't even imagine trying to bar churches from being in the downtown and offering services that they offer," she said. "Seems a bit silly to me. We actually have quite a lot of services in our downtown." Caton also said she believes Agostino was referring to Guelph's plans regarding the new daytime shelter service, which would include showers, washrooms, storage and more. She said a range of people use those types of services, including seniors or even people who can't afford air conditioning, for which some landlords now charge extra. "At core, these are meal services and these are community spaces for people to come and chat up other people," Caton said. "So it's not one type of person that's using this, unless you consider poverty a type of person, right? It's just people who need food and need community." Poverty, Caton said, is the core issue — and municipalities are being forced "to put band aids on things that are provincial issues." Cities need funding for housing — which has become unaffordable for many people on disability — as well as substance abuse and mental health programs, she said. "So unless we're willing to really put in the resources to help solve poverty, then we're going to get crime, we're going to get everything else because people don't have any choices," she said. 'Greater variety' of downtown housing needed Dorian Moore, a local architect and urban planner, said sufficient housing — and "a greater variety" of it — could be key to driving "the demand for other amenities within the downtown," as was the case across the river in Detroit. "You get those initial groups of people down there and they create the framework and the mindset that downtown is a place to be," he said. "Downtown is a place that's cool." WATCH | Is Windsor's downtown plan working?: Is Windsor's downtown plan working? 20 hours ago Duration 3:10 CBC's Jennifer La Grassa speaks with architect and urban designer Dorian Moore about Windsor's downtown revitalization plan one year after it was endorsed by council. Moore agreed that Windsor should address homelessness and related issues, but lead with efforts to attract people to the city's core – not focus on removing others. "The missing ingredient, even though it's touched on in the plan, is what are we going to do to physically enhance the downtown and make it something that we can be proud of. And we want to bring people to the downtown, which I think is important," he said. Windsor's council said it hoped to have the report Agostino requested back before the next meeting on May 26.
CBC
13-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'It isn't working.' Downtown Windsor councillor seeks review of homelessness strategy
One year since the City of Windsor launched its Strengthen the Core plan, downtown councillor Renaldo Agostino is expressing frustration with the state of his ward. He's questioning why homelessness services need to be within two kilometres of the downtown area. CBC's Dalson Chen spoke with the executive director of the Downtown Mission and one of the service's clients — Andre W.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Rocket Mortgage to wind down Canadian operations to focus on the American market
Social Sharing Rocket Mortgage, the U.S.-based lending company, is leaving Canada as the company focuses on growing in the United States. But, the company's other Windsor-based business will continue to operate and maintain its downtown Windsor footprint. The company said in a statement it has started to wind down operations and expect the process to be complete June 27. "We want to assure our clients that all loans in process will proceed without issue, and we remain committed to supporting them through this transition," the company said. "While this means stepping away from our lending business in Canada, we thank our team members who have helped us expand over the last five years." Ward 3 Coun. and Downtown BIA board member Renaldo Agostino said while Rocket Mortgage Canada is ceasing its operations, the Rocket Innovation Studio in downtown Windsor isn't going anywhere. "My thoughts are with the employees from the Rocket Mortgage side of things that are being displaced and [I] certainly want to see those people get jobs right away," he said. "But mostly it's just getting rid of the myth where people think that Rocket is leaving downtown, and it's certainly not." Agostino said businesses closing is not "the end of the world" but the biggest impact will be losing relationships with a lot of members who he says have done a lot for downtown, from community clean ups to volunteering for events. "When one door closes, another door opens … There's just some jobs being lost and my focus is trying to help those people that have lost their jobs to find new employment," he said. "We have a lot of companies that are working very hard to bring new businesses into Windsor and it's the downtown core…Our job is to give businesses the environment to make money. And if they're in an environment where they make money, they're going to stay." Rocket declined to comment on how many employees will be affected by the closure. While there will be roles for some team members at its other Canadian businesses, the Vancouver-based Lendesk and Rocket Innovation Studio, the company said the majority of Rocket Mortgage Canada team members will receive severance packages including health coverage and career transition services.
