Essex County to set aside $1M for affordable housing repairs

Essex County is planning to set aside $1 million as a first step in tackling a five-year, $10 million-plan to repair and maintainthe aging social housing facilities in Windsor-Essex.

According to Essex County Warden Gary McNamara, the stock of affordable housing is approaching 50 years of age.

"You can imagine, any home that age is going to require a lot of repairs," said McNamara.

Essex County Warden spoke with Windsor Morning's Tony Doucetteabout affordable housing:

The Essex County budget document on housing notes that the "existing inventory of social housing facilities requires significant capital rehabilitation, repairs and maintenance."

"We estimate the requirement for us is about 10 million," said McNamara. "The dollars are going to be required five or seven years into the future."

The City of Windsor drafted the five-year capital program last year. Essex County and the city share responsibility for affordable housing.

The $1 million being set aside is to "help us build up the required dollars," said McNamara.

"This is an issue that's critical for all of us, to ensure we have those dollars."

The $10 million in the shared city-and-county plan is to address the needs of existing housing not new structures.

"When these units were built 50 years ago, the mix of them to satisfy the demographics were two or three bedrooms. We don't have enough of one bedroom and four bedroom units," said McNamara, adding that many of the homes need new roofs and windows.

"We have an understanding of what the requirements are going to be. We've got some work to do. You're going to see it again next year and the year after that," McNamara said.

Essex County council meets Jan.16 to begin deliberations for the2019 budget.