What Fred Francis's housing plan promises

Mayoral candidate Fred Francis's housing plan: city land for mixed-use builds with neighbour-ranked benefits, no permit fees for affordable housing, no development charges in Ford City and Sandwich Town. No cost or timeline listed. Campaign pledge.

Topics: Election 2026Money and taxes

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Windsor mayoral candidate Fred Francis unveiled his housing plan on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the former Grace Hospital site on Crawford Avenue. This is a campaign pledge, not City policy.

Francis said Windsor needs about 6,000 affordable homes by 2035. "We are nowhere near that target, and we're losing time every single day," he said, according to CBC News and AM800.

What the plan promises

His campaign platform says he would:

Package city-owned properties and issue competitive calls for mixed-use proposals, with public-benefit conditions ranked by nearby residents.

Waive permit fees for affordable housing developments.

Offer tax incentive programs for housing and affordable housing.

Keep downtown free of development charges and add Ford City and historic Sandwich Town.

Pre-zone the downtown core for more density, end parking minimums and create a Downtown Development Concierge.

Launch an office-to-residential conversion program.

Set clear permit timelines and move building and planning services fully online.

Encourage developers to hire local workers, with checks at occupancy and two years after completion.

Open questions

The platform does not give a cost, a unit target or a timeline. It says development charges would be reduced through senior government funding programs so property taxes are not affected, but it does not say how much waived fees and charges would cost or which programs would cover them.

Windsor News compiled every mayoral candidate's housing position on Oct. 8. Election Day is Monday, Oct. 26.