Windsor and Essex County to receive $190 million for infrastructure

The City of Windsor and municipalities within the County of Essex have agreed to reduce residential development charges in exchange for $190 million in infrastructure funding. This initiative, part of Ontario’s Development Charge Reduction Program, aims to support the construction of over 55,000 homes over the next decade.

Under the agreement, Windsor will reduce development charges for all housing types by 70% between March 2026 and March 2029, receiving up to $77.6 million for projects such as road extensions and stormwater management. Tecumseh is set to receive up to $6.8 million for a trunk sanitary sewer following a 50% reduction in charges.

The County of Essex will eliminate development charges in 2026 and 2027, reduce them by 75% in 2028, and by 50% in 2029, receiving $51.2 million for housing-enabling infrastructure. These charge reductions are estimated to lower the cost of a new home by nearly $50,000 in Windsor and approximately $18,000 in Tecumseh.