Residents of the apartment complex at University Avenue and Crawford were woken up early Wednesday morning to find a home adjacent on fire.
Chief prevention officer John Smith said that crews could not enter the building at the time due to the heavy smoke and fire on the 2nd floor.
Windsor Fire officials report that the fire started at the home’s two-story structure shortly before 6 a.m. There were no reported injuries, and the home’s front door was left open.
Estimated damage is $400,000.
Smith said, “We must assume that it was arson because there is no electricity in the building.” The gas had been disconnected from the building. There are no possible initial sources.
Residents in the neighbourhood say that the house has been problematic since years, and they have made multiple phone calls to the police, city officials and councillors.
Janette Calandra said, “We have made our complaint,” the owner of the next-door building. What they are doing doesn’t fix the real problem we have.
Calandra owns the building since 1993 and claims to have dealt with unwelcome activity at least for 10 years.
“We’ve had car vandalism. “We’ve had break ins.”
Calandra says she has vacant apartments in her apartment complex, despite the fact that affordable housing remains a problem.
Calandra explained that “you get a small group of abandoned houses in an area, which can be a real nuisance for everyone who lives nearby.”
Ward 2 City Coun. Fabio Costante hopes that a vacant home tax proposed by the city will curb this issue and encourage owners to take action.
Costante explained that the hope was that the program would move the needle just a little bit. To get the people housed. “To activate and improve the safety of these areas, both in the property itself as well as the neighbourhood.”
Costante does not believe the tax will eliminate the issue completely, but he believes it’s part of a larger social problem.
He said, “It is a small piece of a much larger puzzle.” What can we as a municipality do and how do we use all our legal resources to the fullest extent possible within the limits that are set? This is one of them.”
The city will then open a dialogue with the homeowner to discuss whether the home should be repaired or demolished.
Calandra, among others, is hoping to be demolished.
She said, “They can’t leave the boarded-up building for us to see for 10 years.”
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