Posted on by Guest Writer
Last game at Windsor Arena - In Play! magazine
As a follow-up to his State of the City Address earlier this year, Mayor Dilkens presented “The Village at The Barn” — a supportive pod-style village envisioned within the former Windsor Arena in downtown Windsor.
29
May

Mayor Drew Dilkens Unveils Vision for “The Village at The Barn” Downtown Homelessness and Housing Help Hub Campus Concept

Former Windsor Arena Site Eyed to Support Vulnerable Populations

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens was recently joined by Ward 3 Councillor Renaldo Agostino; City Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ray Mensour; City Commissioner of Human and Health Services Dana Paladino; Windsor Police Chief Jay Crowley; and David Jeffries, Program Director, Ending Homelessness at Avivo Village in Minneapolis, to announce a Homelessness and Housing Help Hub campus concept for the City of Windsor.

As a follow-up to his State of the City Address earlier this year, Mayor Dilkens presented “The Village at The Barn” — a supportive pod-style village envisioned within the former Windsor Arena in downtown Windsor. Taken alongside the adjacent City-owned Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4), “The Village at The Barn” would form part of a campus-style multi-building facility to support vulnerable populations in Windsor.

“The Village at The Barn” facility within the former Windsor Arena is intended to include the following:

  • 102 private, lockable dwellings located within a larger secure structure
  • Common lounge, communal gathering areas, community activity room
  • Restrooms and shower facilities
  • Clinical intake and examination area
  • Administrative, casework, and counselling rooms
  • Access to a safer use space for residents
  • Laundry facilities
  • Space for future growth, programming, education, and more
  • Outdoor greenspace shared with H4 and available for programming

Windsor’s existing H4 site, located within the former Windsor Water World, currently operates as an enriched service centre and inclusive 24-hour drop-in — connecting people experiencing homelessness to services, community support agencies, and basic medical care, all while helping provide for their basic needs, such as food, restrooms, clothing, and quiet and safe spaces for daytime rest. At the completion of current upgrades to the existing H4 facility, including filling in the pool and upgrading the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and restroom facilities, the current site will offer capacity for up to 150 beds, as well as dedicated space for dining and programming.

Combined, the multi-building campus site would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year; provide wraparound services and supports for individuals experiencing complex barriers, such as homelessness, poverty, addiction, and mental health challenges; offer a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces for individual and group activity, along with quiet spaces; and provide opportunities for recovery, stability, and housing for vulnerable and at-risk populations in the city of Windsor.

In order to access the rooms, services, and supports within the transitional-housing style village, residents would be required to contribute to the cost of service, including funding through programs like Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), to help cover room and board. If an individual is receiving provincial social assistance, their basic support often includes a designated allowance, which is directly intended to cover room-and-board or rent at transitional facilities like “The Village at The Barn.” The City will prioritize highest-need individuals when considering access to one of the pods within the village.

The City of Windsor’s overall homelessness budget, from April 2026 to March 2027, includes just over $25 million in total annualized funding. Of that, the Ontario government provides $16.7 million, the federal government provides $4.3 million, the City of Windsor provides $3.2 million, and the County of Essex provides $850,000. In addition to community outreach, housing supports, and supportive housing, this funding is allocated to operate emergency shelters and drop-in programs within the region, including the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women & Families, Salvation Army, Downtown Mission, Housing and Homelessness Help Hub (H4), and the Emergency Community Housing Hub (ECH2).

The announcement included concept designs by local architectural firm Architecttura, illustrating how the former Windsor Arena could be utilized to create “The Village at The Barn,” how the facility interior could be configured to maximize accessibility and impact, and how the building would link with the existing H4 to include both facilities and shared open greenspace in a campus-style footprint downtown.

In a show of solidary and support, the announcement was attended by members of City Council and City administration, along with many stakeholders, including representatives from the health and human services sector in Windsor, as well as business owners and investors connected to the downtown core.

“The Village at The Barn” and the campus-style site, including the existing H4, is inspired by the Avivo site in Minneapolis, which includes Avivo Village, chemical and mental health services, and career and employment services. David Jeffries, a member of the Avivo Village team who connected back in April with a Windsor delegation including Mayor Dilkens, Councillor Agostino, CAO Mensour, and Commissioner Paladino, accepted the Mayor’s invitation to attend the announcement to provide his unique perspective and lived experience in connection with this work in support of vulnerable populations. Avivo was originally founded as the Minneapolis Rehabilitation Centre in 1960, with a focus on providing career, mental health, and chemical addiction services.

“When I think of what we’re doing here, it is clear to me: we are talking about changing the system. We’re recognizing the good work that has been done, and the possibility of even greater impact. We’re talking about creating an opportunity to do something transformational, and where vulnerable people can have agency in their lives because I still believe people want to change. They want to do better and having a home is just the beginning. And rest assured we’re not going in blind. We went out, time and again, and we looked for a more stable path forward. We are looking to those who are succeeding in this ecosystem, and we are following their lead. ‘The Village at The Barn’ is about possibility and potential. It is the next downtown story that is just waiting to be written, and I’m proud to be part of this chapter.” – Councillor Renaldo Agostino, Ward 3

The associated Avivo Village opened in December 2020 and scaled up operations in 2021. Considered a low-barrier transitional housing sanctuary, Avivo currently offers 100 private units and holistic support services in a repurposed former industrial warehouse. The 1.12-acre site features a 48,600-square-foot facility and includes single-occupant shower rooms, nongendered restrooms, communal kitchenettes and coffee areas, and 2,000 square feet of open space, all arranged into discreet residential clusters to resemble neighbourhoods. Like Windsor’s H4, the project emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, growing challenges with encampments, and limitations of traditional shelters, to bridge the gap between temporary shelter and permanent housing. Since opening, Avivo Village has demonstrated increased engagement, with people who previously avoided shelters choosing to venture inside; improved housing and health outcomes, with participants accessing services that support long-term stability, not short-term fixes; and reduced public system costs, with lower reliance on emergency rooms, jails, and crisis services. As of April 23, 2026, Avivo Village has served 859 individuals, moved 347 individuals into safe and permanent housing, and reversed 258 overdoses.

Guest Writer