Ontario Construction News staff writer
Windsor is progressing with a plan to change the old Windsor Arena into a pod-style transitional housing complex called “The Village at The Barn,” which will be part of a campus that includes the nearby Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4).
“This supportive and transitional pod-style village is modelled after a concept that has been proven to move vulnerable populations toward stable housing in a more dignified and cost-effective manner than what is available locally today,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “The concept builds on work undertaken for years, through extensive public and stakeholder consultation around the creation of H4 and the exploration of a Housing Hub, to arrive at a path forward that can work for Windsor.”
The project aims to assist vulnerable groups by offering private, lockable living spaces along with communal lounges, activity rooms, clinical intake and examination areas, counselling and administrative offices, laundry facilities, and shared outdoor greenspace. Operating around the clock every day of the week, the site would provide wraparound services and supports for individuals facing homelessness, poverty, addiction, and mental health issues.
Concept designs from local firm Architecttura illustrate how the arena could be converted into residential pods while connecting with H4 to create shared indoor and outdoor areas. The campus design takes inspiration from Avivo Village in Minneapolis, which provides low-barrier transitional housing along with integrated mental health support, substance use treatment, and career services.
Avivo Village has shown improvements in engagement, housing stability, and health outcomes since it opened its doors, helping hundreds of people transition into permanent homes.
The existing H4 facility located in the former Windsor Water World operates as a 24-hour drop-in center with enhanced services.
To live at The Village at The Barn, residents will need to contribute towards room and board costs potentially through Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Individuals with greater needs will receive priority.
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