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Wednesday, February 28, 2007 · Page 2 Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program 5% Down-Payment Assistance The Federal and Provincial governments have partnered to fund an interest free down-payment assistance program for households in Windsor and Essex County. SOCIAL The Homeownership program provides 5% down-payment assistance up to a maximum of $8,000.00 to assist households in purchasing affordable homes. In order to be eligible for consideration for this Homeownership program, applicants must be renting, be at least 18 years old, a Canadian Citizen or Landed Immigrant under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act Canada, have a combined total annual gross household income at or below $61,400.00 and a combined total maximum household asset level at or below $20,000.00. [Asset level does not include: primary form of transportation (car/van), furnishings, RRSP or RESP.] The home must be modest in size, with a purchase price at or below $160,000.00. Homeownership Preliminary Application forms for this program can be obtained on or after Tuesday, March 6, 2007 by: ¼ email (on-line) through the City of Windsor website: www.citywindsor.ca ¼ mail, call 311 or 519 255-5200 extension 5470 ­ leave your, telephone number, name, address and postal code and an application will be mailed out to you, or ¼ picking up an application at one of the following municipal offices or agencies throughout Windsor/Essex County: · Amherstburg Municipal Office, 271 Sandwich St South · Essex Main Office, 33 Talbot St South · Kingsville Municipal Office, 2021 Division Rd North · Lakeshore Municipal Office, 419 Notre Dame, Belle River · Lakeshore Community Services, 571 Unit B, Notre Dame, Belle River · Leamington Civic Centre, 38 Erie St North · Tecumseh Municipal Office 917 Lesperance Rd · City of Windsor, City Hall 1st Floor Reception 350 City Hall Square West · Customer Care Centres: College Ave Community Complex 3325 College Ave Forest Glade Community Complex 3215 Forest Glade Dr Optimist Community Centre 1075 Ypres Gino Marcus Community Centre 1168 Drouillard Rd South Windsor Recreation Complex 2555 Pulford · Habitat for Humanity, 3064 Devon Rd, Windsor ON · Housing Information Services, Windsor ON 3540 Ypres, Suite 200 In order to be eligible for consideration for the Homeownership program, completed preliminary application forms with all required attachments must be received on or before Thursday, April 5, 2007. Late submissions may not be considered. The completed application with required documents may be mailed or dropped off to: City of Windsor, City Hall, 1st Floor Reception 350 City Hall Square West, Windsor, ON N9A 6S1 Attn: Housing Services, Program Development Officer Applicants will be notified by mail as to whether or not they have met the eligibility criteria to be considered for the Homeownership program. In order to continue to be eligible, applicants will be required to attend a mandatory information session at a later date. If you have any questions regarding this program, contact Kathy Sasso, Program Development Officer, Housing Services at (519) 255-5200 extension 5470 or call 311, Windsor City Services. JUSTICE PROJECT RECOGNIZED ­ "This is such an honour," said Eileen Clifford, founder of the Essex Area Food Bank, after accepting the Centre for Studies in Social Justice's project of the year award Feb. 21 at the University of Windsor. The food bank was named this year's winner for feeding over 900 families in 2006 and helping to improve the lot of marginalized or oppressed people, said Howard Pawley, acting director for the centre. Fr. Dave Boutette, the priest at St. Mary's Parish in Maidstone and St. John the Evangelist in Woodslee, nominated the organization for its ongoing hard work and compassion. From left, Pawley, Eileen Clifford and her husband and food bank partner Ed. Experts to advise council on environment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "Essex is unique," Rogers added. "It's the centre of the county. Essex has a number of things we could look at and bring back to WECEC." The committee would be made up of seven to nine members. Applications for membership from the general public will be accepted. Rogers said another function of the committee would be to receive and review issues from residents, interact with agencies, work with the Essex Region Conservation Authority, the Ministry of Environment, the town's parks and recreation department and representatives of the Essex District High School environmental committee. "It will broaden the expertise of council," Rogers said. "It gives decision makers and administration time to react." Rogers named a few contemporary issues the committee would be looking into, including the pros and cons of wind farms. Council unanimously agreed to support the committee. "The time has come to focus on the environment," said Ward 1 Coun. Randy Voakes. "It's important to have our ideas represented at the regional meeting," said Deputy Mayor Richard Meloche. "I think it'd be a wise move to have someone represent us." Council to study draft budget CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The town's chief administrative officer, Wayne Miller, suggested that council would mainly have to look for cuts from the town's capital expenses in order to keep tax increases down. In the draft budget, total capital expenses came to $7.8 million, up 21 per cent and an increase of $1.3 million, mainly pushed by land and building projects estimated at $831,000, an increase of 162 per cent over the 2006 budget. "That was painful," said Ward 3 Councillor Paul Innes following the overview. Innes expressed concern over the draft figures, describing it as "being hit with a baseball bat." Hunter told council, "That was the easy part." Councillors expressed disappointment in the projected decrease in revenue from development charges of 25.3 percent, or $149,000 over last year. However, Hunter said the final 2006 figures for development charges were going to be "far lower" than the revenues projected last year. "Should there be a reduc- tion in staff?" said Ward 3 Councillor Ron Rogers, asking if the building department staff should be reduced in light of the decreased development in the town. Hunter said the building department was going to show a deficit of about $10,000 for 2006. Council will take the detailed 2007 draft budget documents home for study, highlighting areas of concern, before reconvening March 6 primarily to look at cuts to capital project expenses.