Local downtown businesses are affected by homelessness crisis

According to Homeless Hub.com, there are at least 251 people experiencing homelessness in Windsor as of 2021. 

Some downtown business owners feel sympathy for them. 

“I see them sitting down there, across the street,” said Milad Hourani, the owner of Luxury Snacks, local exotic candy shop. “I feel bad, myself, so I just give them a bag of chips or something.” 

While he does feel bad for them, they can still drive away his business. 

“It drives away business in a way but at the same time you never know what they are going through,” said Hourani. “I give respect to everybody and try to help out in any way I can.” 

According to the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness, one of the leading causes of homelessness is mental health issues. 

They found that people living with mental health problems are more susceptible to poverty, disaffiliation and personal vulnerability. 

They also found these disadvantages come from the fact that some disorders can limit an individual’s ability to sustain employment, leading them to have low income. 

“We do get quite a few homeless people that come in and try to shoplift quite a bit,” said Alexis Beaulieu, a worker at La Vern’s Market in downtown Windsor. 

Beaulieu said sometimes they would come into their store inebriated and potentially disrupt costumers. 

The city of Windsor is continually trying to find ways to help homeless people find housing and support. 

On March 7, Ward three council member Renaldo Agostino held a town hall meeting to allow people from the community of downtown Windsor to voice their concerns and potential solutions to the problems they have. 

“Everybody here loves the downtown. Everybody wants to see the best for the downtown,” said Agostino. “I think everyone here can easily agree that we have some challenges downtown.” 

Some people at the meeting suggested opening up homeless shelters that run 24 hours a day to help as many people as possible. One man suggested a hub for the homeless to go if they need help. 

“We are all together on this and the only way we are going to solve this is together,” said Agostino. “To get opinions, to get ideas, to get solutions, to hear the problems that’s… how we are going to get through this thing.”