Neighbourhood Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program

A grant program offered for neighbourhood rehabilitation generally consists of grants for private residential homeowners or tenants to make improvements to residential buildings for the collective betterment of the neighbourhood. In Windsor, Ford City and Sandwich Town CIPs offer financial grants for the purposes of residential building improvements.

In October 2017, staff recommended a Neighbourhood Residential Micro-Grant Program under the Downtown CIP which was intended to provide financial assistance to property owners and tenants to promote the maintenance and improvement of residential properties within targeted residential neighbourhoods in order to help improve the aesthetic quality and living conditions in the residential neighbourhoods surrounding the downtown core. The program details are contained within Appendix B.

Council did not approve the Neighbourhood Residential Micro-Grant Program as proposed by staff in October 2017.

Funded CIPs

Report C5/2020 provides an overview of the active and current CIPs and their fund balance (see Appendix A). One additional CIP within the City offers financial incentives and is funded, being the Little River Acres Community Improvement Plan. Report C5/2020 did not mention the Little River Acres CIP due to the fact that the CIP was approved in 2005 and the City has not received an application from a property owner under the grant program. Additionally, the funds are now approved for capital improvements, which are described in the discussion section below.

Discussion:

Neighbourhood Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program

If Council wishes to reconsider the Neighbourhood Residential Micro-Grant Program and include it in the Downtown CIP, they can choose to amend the Downtown CIP. Council can direct staff to amend the Downtown CIP to include Appendix B attached to this report. An amendment to a CIP is similar to an Official Plan Amendment where public notice is given, a public meeting is held, and an appeal period follows.

Little River Acres Community Improvement Plan

Capital Project (#7041913) was set aside to provide ongoing assistance to implement financial programs and capital improvements, as identified in Recommendation 6 of the Little Rivers Acres CIP adopted by CR232/2005, and to implement Phases 1 through 4 of the Little River Acres Park Redevelopment Plan as per CR45/2007 (See Appendix C).

The project had an approved budget of $800,000 and currently has a remaining balance available of $76,040. A majority of the fund has been spent on Phase I which included, the design and implementation of the following park amenities, accessible playground, multi-use walking trial, new parking lot, new park electrical service with perimeter