Woodstock politicians vote to spend $2M windfall on homeless center

After unlocking nearly $2 million in provincial cash for surpassing its 2023 housing target, Woodstock city council has voted to spend the money tackling homelessness.

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In a 4-3 vote Thursday, politicians earmarked the funds to “acquire a property to support the creation of a new homelessness service center” in partnership with Oxford County, a staff report stated. Woodstock has announced it would get the money after recording 475 housing starts last year, exceeding its target of 403.

“Today I brought forward a motion that addresses what I firmly believe is one of the most significant challenges our city has faced in potentially its history: Homelessness,” Mayor Jerry Acchione told his colleagues as he pushed forward the homeless option.

Homelessness and encampments were “just an emerging issue” when Acchione campaigned for council in 2014 and 2018, he told colleagues, but by his 2022 mayoral run the matter had become “top of mind for everyone.”

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Councilors Bernia Martin, Kate Leatherbarrow and Liz Wismer-Van Meer joined Acchione in supporting the motion, while councilors Deb Tait, Mark Schadenberg and Connie Lauder opposed it.

Martin told her colleagues the money, coming from Ontario’s so-called Building Faster Fund, is about $1.99 million. She said the city should be “proactive” rather than “responsive” to address the homelessness issue.

A report by Woodstock’s top bureaucrat, David Creery, outlined several other options for the money, including sidewalk construction and two stormwater pond cleanouts. Also included as options were supporting new affordable housing as well as feasible housing projects, both in tandem with Oxford County.

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The provincial funding comes with strings attached. It must be spent on projects permitted by Queen’s Park, such as supporting housing infrastructure, affordable housing or homelessness centres. There are also time constraints attached to the money, which the provincial government could reclaim if it’s not spent in a timely fashion.

“We’re on a tight deadline and timeline for this money,” Tait said on Friday. A dissenter of the motion, she noted the inclusion of Oxford County council could potentially cause delays to the homeless centre’s completion.

Tait said “the money should have gone back to (Woodstock) taxpayers,” and supported an option that would’ve spent it on the “urbanization of Pittock Park Road” by constructing sidewalks and further development of the area to support “all the housing out there that has exploded.”

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Echoing Tait’s position was Lauder, who said she supported “partnering with the county,” but preferred to back city development.

“It’s great to receive this money,” Lauder said at the meeting. “I prefer it. . . the Pittock Park plan, which would benefit all taxpayers in the city of Woodstock.”

Tait said she recognized “there’s a (homeless) crisis,” but thought more should be done before “you throw money at stuff.”

Acchione, also an Oxford County councillor, said he intends to present the matter at an upcoming county council meeting in hopes of moving the proposal forward.

The nearly $2 million in funding is part of the provincial government’s three-year, $1.2-billion incentive to help meet its overall goal of constructing 1.5 million new homes in Ontario by 2031. Woodstock has pledged to build 5,500 new homes in that timeframe.

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