Collier County may expand incoming housing with 114 multi-family units

Reporter: Asha Patel Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
A house under construction in Collier County. Credit: WINK News

Collier County leaders will discuss expanding its proposed housing projects with over 100 more multi-family units, but some say that the expansion could hurt the community.

Some people are upset because they believe the county needs to focus on bringing in more affordable housing, since many are struggling to make ends meet, but county leaders believe they are keeping up with population growth by setting aside land for another 114 multi-family units.

Joe Trachtenberg, chairman of the Collier County Affordable Housing Advisory Board, tells WINK News this is not what the county needs, because many people simply can’t afford to pay between $2,000 and $4,000 per month for rent.

“I think this entire project is a boondoggle,” Trachtenberg said. “And I think it’s adding market-rate housing to Collier County when we already have enough. And it’s ignoring the lack of affordable housing, which is in crisis.”

Trachtenberg says new housing is a must, but he believes Collier County leaders have their priorities backward; adding more housing at the market rate won’t help people trying to move to the county, as they won’t be able to afford it.

“We have 45,000 people that work in Collier County and can’t afford to live here,” Trachtenberg said. “And the problem just keeps getting ignored. If we were going to build anything in the mini triangle, let’s build 491 affordable apartments where there’s truly a need for places for these folks to live.”

The Collier County Planning Commission will meet to discuss the expansion on Thursday.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.