This episode originally aired on December 20, 2022.
Anyone who lives in southwest Florida is definitely aware of the rapid rise in housing costs — especially rentals — in recent years. According to the website RentCafe.com the average rent for an apartment in Naples is $2,264. In Fort Myers it’s $1928. Those numbers are in line with what people pay for rent in cities like Atlanta ($1861), Denver ($1994), and even Portland, Oregon ($1746).
It’s estimated that 40% of households in Collier County struggle with housing costs, and availability of affordable housing for essential workers and seniors in Collier is reaching crisis levels. More than 40,000 workers commute daily from outside Collier County because they can’t afford to live near their jobs.
More than 220 Collier County deputies commute daily from adjacent counties, and nearly half of the county’s EMS employees live elsewhere. The Collier County Chamber of Commerce has identified the lack of affordable housing as its number one public policy issue.
We discuss this seemingly intractable problem, and get a preview of an upcoming forum that will explore possible solutions, with Joe Trachtenberg, he is chair of the Collier County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and a member of Greater Naples Leadership, which is hosting the free public forum on January 11.
Forum Details
Greater Naples Leadership is presenting the free community forum addressing the Workforce Housing Crisis in Collier County on Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 3-5:30pm at the Naples United Church of Christ. Click here for details or to register to attend.
