Council votes today on a 70% cut to development charges on new homes
Building a new home in Windsor? Council votes at 11:30 a.m. today on cutting residential development charges 70% for three years, back-dated to March 30. On a new single detached home, that's about $31,500 off the City's $45,064 charge.
Topics: Council and City Hall
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Windsor city council meets at 11:30 a.m. today, Friday, Oct. 23, to vote on a 70% cut to residential development charges.
The news
Development charges are one-time fees the City puts on new construction to help pay for growth-related costs such as roads, sewers and water lines.
At a special meeting on June 17, 2026, council agreed in principle to cut residential development charges by 70% for three years, but only if Windsor's application to the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program was approved. A City finance memo on today's agenda says all five projects the City submitted to the program have been approved.
At a 10 a.m. announcement today, the governments of Canada and Ontario said Windsor will get up to $77.6 million through the program for stormwater and road infrastructure. The release says the money is still subject to funding agreements between the governments and the City.
Today's By-law 154-2026 would reduce development charges for residential uses by 70% from March 30, 2026 until March 29, 2029. The bylaw takes effect on the day council gives it final passage.
What it means for you
Building a new home: The City's development charge on a new single detached home in most of Windsor is $45,064 per unit. A 70% cut takes about $31,500 off that.
Already paid? City staff say that once the bylaw passes they will start the refund or credit process for 70% of residential development charges levied on or after March 30, 2026. Ontario's program rules require municipalities to make sure developments with building permits after March 30, 2026 get the reduction.
Area 1: Residential development in the City's Area 1, which is already 100% exempt, stays exempt.
Buyers: The cut lowers what builders pay the City. Whether it shows up in the price of a new home is up to builders.
The five projects
According to the agenda, the approved projects are 9th Concession Road improvements from Cabana Road East to Baseline Road (part of the hospital support project), Howard Avenue from Kenilworth Drive to Cabana Road East, 6th Concession Road, the Ojibway storm trunk sewer from St. Clair Avenue to Roxborough Boulevard, and Cabana Road East from Lauzon Parkway East to the city limits.
Nothing is final until council votes. We'll update this story after the meeting.
