Ontario's new municipal councils take office on November 15.[1][2][3] In London, Windsor and Chatham-Kent, the October 26 election produced one re-elected mayor and two new ones. None of them starts with a blank page. Each inherits housing files that were opened in the last term and left unfinished, and those files matter more to rental owners, builders and lenders than any campaign slogan. Here is what is on each desk, what the winners have said about it, and the dates when talk turns into votes.

London: continuity at the top, unfinished deals underneath

The result. Mayor Josh Morgan won a second term with 46,405 votes (45.4%), well ahead of Susan Stevenson at 27,259 (26.7%), on 31% turnout.[1] Most councillors return and four seats changed hands. The London Chamber of Commerce reads the new council as more progressive, noting that the mayor and nine ward councillors were endorsed by the local labour council, but cautions that endorsements are not a voting bloc.[2]

What is already on the desk.

  • Development charges. In June, council approved an application to the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program proposing a 50% cut to residential charges for three years.[4] As of October 28, CTV reported London was still negotiating, after Windsor, Essex County and St. Thomas had announced their agreements.[5]
  • Build Canada Homes. A June 8 staff report set out a portfolio application of about 2,400 units, including about 1,250 affordable homes. As of our last check, no London funding had been announced.[6]
  • Supportive housing. Morgan campaigned on 200 more supportive housing spaces and more provincial treatment capacity.[2]

The live question. For a rental builder, the outcome of the development charge talks matters more than the mayoral race did. A 50% cut on a citywide apartment is a real reduction in project cost. It also lands in a market where one-bedroom asking rents were down 4.7% year over year in September and starts are up 28% so far this year.[7] More supply is coming whether or not the charges drop. The first financial test is the 2027 budget update. It is scheduled for release on January 19, with committee deliberations on February 11 and 12 and council amendments on February 18.[2] The City's adopted multi-year budget already projects a 4.7% property tax increase for 2027.[8]

Windsor: a new mayor and a different toolkit

The result. Fred Francis, the Ward 1 councillor, defeated incumbent Drew Dilkens, 28,204 votes (47.6%) to 20,021 (33.8%).[3] The clerk certified the results on October 28.[9]

What is already on the desk.

  • Development charges. Council approved a 70% cut in June. The federal-provincial agreement that funds it was announced on October 23.[10] Francis's platform keeps downtown free of development charges and would add Ford City and Sandwich Town. It says the cost would be covered by senior-government programs so property taxes aren't affected, but doesn't put a price on it.[11]
  • Zoning and conversions. The platform promises as-of-right density pre-zoned downtown, no parking minimums, an office-to-residential conversion program, waived permit fees for affordable housing and published permit timelines.[11] Francis has said Windsor needs about 6,000 affordable homes by 2035.[11]
  • Village at the Barn. This is the plan to turn the vacant Windsor Arena into about 102 supportive homes, at an estimated cost of up to $60 million. Council endorsed the concept in June but did not approve construction. Francis was the only vote against. On election night he said he doesn't think it works "from a numbers standpoint" and would rather put senior-government money into permanent affordable housing. A staff report is expected next spring.[12]

The live question. Francis's agenda is mostly about supply: lower fees, quicker permits and more density in the core. For existing owners, Windsor's problem has been demand. One-bedroom asking rents were down 12.6% year over year in September, and starts are down 21% this year.[7] Pre-zoning and conversion incentives will help the economics of new downtown projects. They do little for a stabilized building competing on price for fewer renters. Watch for which of these platform items appear in the 2027 budget and in the first planning reports of the term. Until then they are pledges, not policy.

Chatham-Kent: a budget mayor and a new housing plan

The result. Michael Bondy, a longtime councillor, unseated Mayor Darrin Canniff, 15,818 votes (43.4%) to 11,501 (31.6%), on 40.8% turnout.[13] Council shrinks to 14 members from 17.[14]

What is already on the desk.

  • The Strategic Housing Action Plan. Council adopted the 25-year plan in June. Its first 10 years target 400 affordable and 50 supportive units and a 30% cut in a waitlist of about 1,400 households. Bondy had proposed deferring the plan to the new council. It passed anyway, and its first years now fall to him.[14] A housing needs assessment puts the municipality's gap at 6,085 units, including 1,835 affordable.[14]
  • Development charges. In June, Canniff floated a three-year elimination of residential charges, which would need council approval.[15] We found no announced agreement under the federal-provincial program as of November 3. Existing rules already give a 50% reduction to rental projects with 50 or more units.[16]
  • Money. The 2026 tax increase was 4.63%, staff cite a $2.6 billion infrastructure gap, and growth in Tilbury and Ridgetown depends on stormwater upgrades.[14] On election night, Bondy named restructuring and a different approach to the budget as his first priorities.[14]

The live question. Chatham-Kent built 577 homes in 2025, 525% of its provincial target.[15] A mayor focused on restraint could still keep development charges low if senior governments pay for the lost revenue. What he is less likely to do is fund servicing ahead of demand. For builders outside Chatham itself, servicing capacity may matter more than charge rates. Rentals.ca does not report Chatham-Kent, so local rent evidence will continue to come from CMHC's annual survey and listings.

What doesn't change on November 15

Several things that matter just as much for southwestern Ontario rental housing are outside council control:

  1. Rent control. The 2027 rent increase guideline is 1.9% for covered units.[17]
  2. Tax deadlines. Ontario's enhanced HST relief for new rentals requires construction to start by March 31, 2027.[18]
  3. Rates. The Bank of Canada's policy rate is 2.5% after the October 28 hike, and the next decision is December 9.[19]
  4. Federal policy. Ottawa's budget is scheduled for November 5.[20] It may bring the immigration levels figures that drive renter demand in all three cities.

The takeaway

The election produced different mayors but similar to-do lists: development charge relief that depends on senior-government money, supportive-housing projects without settled funding, and budgets under pressure from infrastructure costs. For owners and lenders, the useful signals in the months ahead are the January and February budget votes, London's development charge agreement, and what Windsor and Chatham-Kent actually adopt. The campaign platforms are a weaker guide.

This article is for information only and is not investment, tax or legal advice. Campaign platforms described here are pledges, not municipal policy.

Sources

[1] City of London, Official Statement of Votes, October 26, 2026 municipal election (Oct. 28, 2026): https://london.ca/sites/default/files/2026-10/Official%20Statement%20of%20Votes.pdf

[2] London Chamber of Commerce, "London's New Council: The Results and What Comes Next" (Oct. 28, 2026): https://www.londonchamber.com/2026/10/28/londons-new-council-the-results-and-what-comes-next/

[3] City of Windsor, 2026 election results, mayor: https://results.citywindsor.ca/?option=mayor

[4] London Free Press, "London eyes 50% cut to development charges under new funding program" (June 17, 2026): https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/london-eyes-50-cut-to-development-charges-under-new-funding-program

[5] CTV News London, "London still negotiating Development Charge reduction to lower new home prices as other cities announce deals" (Oct. 28, 2026): https://www.ctvnews.ca/london/article/exclusive-london-still-negotiating-development-charge-reduction-to-lower-new-home-prices-as-other-cities-announce-deals/

[6] City of London staff report to CPSC, application through Build Canada Homes (June 8, 2026): https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=124542

[7] Rentals.ca and Urbanation, National Rent Report, October 2026 (September data): https://rentals.ca/national-rent-report ; CMHC, Housing starts and other construction data, September 2026: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/media-newsroom/news-releases/2026/housing-starts-construction-data-september-2026

[8] City of London, 2026 Annual Budget Update: https://getinvolved.london.ca/budget

[9] Windsor News, "Village at the Barn: where it stands after the election" (Oct. 28, 2026, updated Nov. 1): https://windsornewsdesk.ca/stories/2026-10-28-village-at-the-barn/

[10] Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, Windsor and Tecumseh development charge agreement (Oct. 23, 2026): https://www.canada.ca/en/housing-infrastructure-communities/news/2026/10/canada-and-ontario-making-homes-more-affordable-in-windsor-and-tecumseh.html

[11] Windsor News, "What Fred Francis's housing plan promises" (Oct. 15, 2026): https://windsornewsdesk.ca/stories/2026-10-15-what-fred-franciss-housing-plan-promises/

[12] CBC News Windsor, "Windsor's proposed tiny-home village faces opposition from newly elected mayor" (Oct. 28, 2026): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/new-mayor-village-at-the-barn-uncertain-future-9.7398959

[13] Municipality of Chatham-Kent, election results: https://chathamkent.enrs.ca/ ; "Official 2026 Municipal Election Results Released": https://www.chatham-kent.ca/localgovernment/News/pages/Official%202026%20Municipal%20Election%20Results%20Released.aspx

[14] CKNow, "What's next for Chatham-Kent council: homelessness, growth and the budget" (Oct. 27, 2026): https://cknow.ca/news/whats-next-chatham-kent-council-2026

[15] The Chatham Voice, "Will C-K drop development charges?" (June 30, 2026): https://chathamvoice.com/2026/06/30/will-c-k-drop-development-charges/

[16] Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Development Charge Exemptions (Full or Partial): https://www.chatham-kent.ca/business/developmentcharges/Documents/Development%20Charge%20Exemptions.pdf

[17] Government of Ontario, Residential rent increases: https://www.ontario.ca/page/residential-rent-increases

[18] Ontario 2026 Fall Statement, In Brief (Oct. 29, 2026): https://budget.ontario.ca/2026/fallstatement/brief.html

[19] Bank of Canada, press release (Oct. 28, 2026): https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2026/10/fad-press-release-2026-10-28/

[20] The Hill Times, "Finance Minister Champagne tables his second budget on Nov. 5" (Nov. 4, 2026): https://www.hilltimes.com/2026/11/04/finance-minister-champagne-tables-his-second-budget-on-nov-5/524468/