Lee County gets more than $7M to build, repair affordable housing developments

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to allocate $7.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act Recovery & Resilience Program to two affordable housing developments.

Southward Village is a low-income housing development in Fort Myers. The Lee County commissioners decided it could use a make-over, so they took action.

The board voted to spend $7.5 million to fix it up and build more places for more people to live.

“I saw this. It’s pretty much quite the idea to help the homeless situation here,” said Alonzo Wilson from Fort Myers.

Wilson spoke to WINK News before the commissioners voted. He said he knows people need a helping hand to survive.

Thanks to the new federal funds, Southwest Florida Affordable Housing Foundation will put 185 new units in Southward Village.

The commissioners also gave Habitat for Humanity the green light to build 36 homes in North Fort Myers. That development will be called McNeill Village.

“We recognize the need, and we’re trying to serve that need,” said Katie Cribbs with Habitat for Humanity.

“It’s really heartbreaking that the American dream could actually come down to us, this country, having more homeless people,” said Wilson.

Not everyone is on board with Lee County’s plan to help more people find affordable housing.

Brenda Bryer lives near Southward Village. She wishes more people would take pride in where they live.

“If they don’t take care of a place, they tare up the windows and break the door down. If they’re not doing the right thing, then they should be kicked out, and they can pick up, they can go out there and pick up the paper out in their yard. And they see people picking it up, but they just don’t care,” said Bryer.

Lee County expects the two projects to be complete by 2024.