Affordable housing in Lee County is getting tens of millions of dollars for long-term recovery from Hurricane Ian.
Lee will receive $1.1 billion from the federal government, and Lee is putting some of the cash toward one of the most vexing problems in the area: lack of places where people can afford to live.
Andrea Lott said she's lived in Florida close to 40 years, and added the lack of affordable housing means one thing for people she knows, especially seniors.
"It's either do I eat? Or do I pay for my house?" Lott said.
That dilemma could be why the federal government wants most of the money to help lower to lower-middle income people — those making less than about $55,000 a year for a household, or about $33,000 for a single person. Those numbers are based on the median income for the area. Some of the housing money will go to build places that can rent only to a person over 62 years of age, and making less than roughly $20,000 a year.
Lee commissioners are directing most of the first bundle - $50 million of the $89 million - to Habitat for Humanity. It promises to build 262 single-family homes, spread over five locations from Bonita Springs to North Fort Myers.
"We are truly so grateful for this," Becky Lucas, director of Habitat in Lee and Hendry Counties, said.
She says the people who buy the homes will put no more than 30 percent of household income to the mortgage. Given the income guidelines, that would be about $1,200 at most.
Each potential home owner will put in 300 hours of sweat equity, helping build homes for others. And each must complete a financial management course.
"Owning a Habitat home not only breaks the cycle of poverty, it sets them up and sets up their children, for success in the future," Lucas said.
She added that Habitat will build the homes first, and then draw reimbursement from the $50 million award.
Lee commissioners voted to award other builders $39 million for 412 multi-family units. Most will rent to people 62 and older.
Charles Garretson, who volunteers at a food pantry, says high prices are crushing some seniors.
"Some of them come up crying. We have to fill out food stamps for them all the time," Garretson said. "It's aggravating. I see people falling all around me."
ReVital Development Group from Tampa was awarded several million dollars to build housing for low-income seniors. ReVital will build in North Fort Myers, and rent one-bedroom units for about $400 to $1,000 a month, depending on the tenant's income. Two bedrooms will go for about $460 up to $1,260 a month, according to ReVital. The company also will help some tenants with utility costs.
The rents that ReVital said it will charge are far below the federal government's fair market rents for one-bedroom apartments in the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area. Housing and Urban Development said 2025 fair market rent for one-bedrooms is $1,488 for this area.
Sherri Gorzkowski says rents should be $700 to $800. She's the mom in a family of six, and she says they're paying $1,000 a month just to rent a lot for their mobile home. She said she has to go to pantries to get food for the family.
"It makes you upset," Gorzkowski said. "They gotta realize how many people out here are struggling."
The projects getting money won't break ground until late this year or early next.
And Lee commissioners still have another $110 million in housing money to award in the next few months.
Mike Walcher is a reporter at WGCU News, and also teaches journalism at FGCU. He can be reached at mwalcher@wgcu.org