Windsor City Council unanimously approved a $3.2 million increase to the 2024 operating budget to support the "Strengthen the Core" plan.
The plan highlights seven initiatives to help the downtown core, including improving safety and security, expanding the H4 Homelessness and Housing Help Hub, and improving property standards.
"The plan is about changing the conversation, about getting safety and security right, it's what they did in Detroit, and then working on cleanliness and activations to bring our downtown back to the place we want it to be," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
There were 36 delegates, including business owners and residents, who spoke in favour of the plan. Not a single delegate spoke against it.
Now that the plan was approved, Windsor Police Chief Jason Bellaire said they will immediately adjust their deployment to increase their presence downtown.
However, he made sure everyone around the council table was aware that policing alone would not solve downtown's homelessness, mental health, and addiction concerns.
"This plan is not about a police service itself. This plan is about providing police services for what is going to be our own eco-system of health and human service sector strategies to try and make the city a better place," said Bellaire.
Officials from Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Family Services Windsor-Essex all voiced their support for the plan and made commitments to improve service delivery downtown.
The H4 has already extended its hours and is working to improve services.
The operating budget increase for the immediate action items identified in the Strengthen the Core plan will equal an additional $23 on the average person's property tax bill.
