Leamington’s mayor is sounding the alarm about an affordable and immigrant housing crisis.
Hilda MacDonald said more housing is needed because there are 60 families waiting in Leamington alone. In one case, she said 11 people are living in a home, which is against the bylaw, and she can’t look the other way anymore.
MacDonald said the housing shortage is severe in Leamington and added the town can't handle any more immigrants until it's addressed.
"Right now, housing is severely limited. Be very aware where your refugee families are going," said MacDonald.
MacDonald said it would be unsafe for Leamington to accept any other immigrants for the time being.
"We need to provide decent housing, it goes beyond just being clean. It needs to be safe," the mayor added.
MacDonald said it's a precarious situation and the town won't be able to accept any more immigrants until a large housing complex is finished next year.
"This is an emerging issue and you may have to look further afield than Leamington temporarily until we get our bigger complex built but for now we are asking for help," MacDonald said.
Leamington brings in 6,000-8,000 migrant workers every year.
MacDonald's comments came after a presentation by the Windsor-Essex Local Immigration Partnership (WELIP) group about an increasing number of immigrants relocating to the county. WELIP said Leamington is getting up to 500 immigrants a year.
The group helps with services for newcomers.
