'Going to be a different place:' Windsor-Essex builders scramble to solve affordable housing riddle
An aerial view of the foundation of a multi-unit townhouse development under construction on Barkley Avenue in Windsor on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. PHOTO BY DAN JANISSE/Windsor Star Windsor-Essex County Home Builders’ Association president Brent Klundert said fixed costs for things such as land, labour, development charges — which range from $20,000 to $45,000 per lot depending on the municipality — financing and permit fees have risen 30 to 50 per cent in the past three years.
Per-foot frontage costs have risen to between $5,000 and $7,000 or more depending on the location in Windsor and Essex County.
“Higher density is 100 per cent the solution,” Klundert said. “As supply of land is restrained, the demand for available land needs to have higher density on it. The municipalities want that, but the existing infrastructure isn’t always there to handle that higher density.
“It’s causing a major issue on the supply side. There has to be a marriage there between the two.”
Klundert said home builders have already begun to shift their product offerings to try and create more affordable homes. There are more three-, four- and six-plex projects and infilling going on in local municipalities. Klundert said his own company has already built over 20 tiny homes in the area and that it’s not unique in doing that locally.
Read the full article here: https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/windsor-essex-builders-scramble-to-solve-affordable-housing-riddle
