Municipal leaders call for review of placements, better policing response
The Town of Essex is pressing the Essex County OPP Detachment Board North and the City of Windsor to take action after what councillors described as a rise in calls for police service and growing concerns among tenants at two local social housing buildings.
Council unanimously approved a motion from Mayor Sherry Bondy Monday night asking for increased theft-prevention efforts from the OPP detachment board and a review of how Windsor, as the service manager for social housing in Windsor-Essex, places tenants.
Bondy told council residents have flagged problems at Maplewood Apartments and Elroy Manor, alleging some tenants require more intensive supports related to mental health, addiction and security than are currently in place. She said the issue is not social housing itself, but whether tenants are receiving the supports they need to live safely alongside others.
“And that is housing that comes with mental health, addictions, crisis, security at night, and we’re not getting that,”
Bondy said the lack of supports has led to what she called an "abundance of OPP calls monthly," straining municipal resources and contributing to higher policing bills.
Local councillors press for placement review
Ward 1 councillor Katie McGuire-Blais supported a formal review of Windsor's housing placement practices. She said communities such as Essex do not have the same level of supports as larger centres and that more care should be taken to match clients' needs with available local resources.
“Here in Essex we just don’t have the same resources that say Leamington or Windsor has for some of the people who are using the housing. So I think that needs to be taken a look at and some more care needs to be taken a look at where people are being housed to make sure that the community is fitting the need,”
Council also discussed the potential fiscal consequences should calls for service remain high. Municipal administration told councillors any budget implications tied to increased policing would need to be addressed by the OPP and could be discussed further when the police service appears before council next month.
What council wants
The motion approved by council contains two distinct requests:
- that the Essex County OPP Detachment Board North increase theft-prevention and responsiveness to calls in the town's social housing buildings, and
- that the City of Windsor, as the service manager for social housing in Windsor-Essex, review placement practices to ensure tenants with higher needs are matched with appropriate supports.
Councillors framed the requests as an attempt to protect both tenants requiring supports and their neighbours, and to reduce pressure on municipal emergency services.
Local context and implications
Essex is not the only municipality in Windsor-Essex to grapple with the intersection of housing, mental health and policing. Across the region, municipal officials, service managers and police forces have increasingly faced questions about how best to provide supports for individuals with complex needs while ensuring the safety and well‑being of other tenants.
Community housing advocates have argued for integrated approaches that pair stable housing with on-site or proximate mental health and addiction services, while police and municipal budgets are closely watched for expenditures tied to repeat calls for service. The council’s motion signals a hope that Windsor, which administers social housing in the region, can refine placement decisions to better reflect the supports available in smaller communities like Essex.
What happens next
The OPP detachment board and the City of Windsor have been asked to respond to council’s concerns. Council administration noted that any changes with financial impact on policing should be raised when the OPP presents to council next month.
Until those responses are received, residents and councillors will be watching for concrete steps to address reported safety concerns at Maplewood Apartments and Elroy Manor and for any commitments to review placement procedures that link tenant needs with local service capacity.
| Issue raised | Requested action |
|---|---|
| Increased OPP calls at social housing buildings | More theft-prevention and attentive response from OPP |
| Placement of tenants needing supports | Review of housing placement practices by City of Windsor |
As the request moves to the OPP and Windsor for a response, the debate highlights the broader regional challenge of balancing housing availability with the supports necessary to sustain safe, stable tenancies across both urban and smaller municipal communities in Windsor-Essex.
