Collier County planners to discuss homeless shelter expansion

Published: Updated:
St. Matthew’s House would like to add more beds to its homeless shelter but is facing opposition from a nearby neighborhood. (CREDIT: WINK News)

Saint Matthew’s House wants to expand one of its two Collier County homeless shelters and hopes county planners will approve the proposal in the face of opposition from a nearby apartment complex.

53 people are currently on a waiting list for space in Campbell Lodge, located at 2001 Airport Road S. in Naples. The shelter has some extra space, but it still needs extra beds to fit more people in need. The Collier County Planning Commission will discuss this proposal at its Thursday meeting at 9 a.m.

Steve Brooder, CEO of St. Matthew’s House, says the nonprofit just wants to help as many people as possible and is willing to work with the neighborhood to make sure everyone is comfortable.

“Some of the issues… we’ve been talking about our boundary issues, so some fencing and landscaping, and we’re agreeable to all that to, again, be good neighbors in the community,” Brooder said.

Opposition is mounting from people living in this nearby apartment complex, the Point at Naples. Kristi Sinnott, director of property management at West Shore, LLC, says the complex already has issues with homeless people living outside, claiming they have made a mess of the area. She says people who live at the Point fear it will only get worse if Collier County allows more beds at the shelter.

“As our maintenance team was going to clean up the tent area, he was attacked and assaulted by one of the homeless individuals,” Sinnott said. “Someone from the team is always having to go out and get them out of the pool area.”

St. Matthew’s House insists the extra beds will help solve those problems, as the need for space to assist neighbors experiencing hunger, homelessness and addiction is greater at this time of year.

“As we go into the winter months, there’s just a great need of families, single men and single women that want to be sheltered,” Brooder said. “So if we can have more beds to do that comfortably in our renovated facility, that’s our desire. That’s the main purpose of the petition or the application.”

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.