2 affordable housing projects coming to Immokalee

Not one but two affordable housing projects are coming to a community in need of homes near their work.

Collier County approved two affordable housing projects that will be built in Immokalee.

One they just approved will include a childhood center that would benefit 250 students. The other project is already underway.

The Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance project is located on Lake Trafford Road, west of North 19th Street, and the Pulte Family Foundation Project, which was just approved, is at the northeast corner of Carson Road and Westclox Street.

People are happy more affordable housing is coming to a much-needed area.

One Immokalee woman said it’s not unusual for up to 10 people to live in a trailer and a family of four to live in a one-bedroom apartment because the cost of living makes it impossible to cover their basic needs.

“The rents will be ranged probably from $800 to around $1,300, which is less than half of what they would have to pay and much less than what they’re currently pay now for trailers and shacks that are filled with mold and mildew,” said Arol Buntzman, CEO of Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance.

Buntzman said there will be 128 apartments with 2-3 bedrooms on the 10-acre site, and it’s all possible thanks to grants and private philanthropic support.

“They don’t have to go far for services. They’re a block and a half away from [a] shopping center, across the street from a gas station, so everything they need is close by this– mass transit, right on Lake Traffic Road, that close to the schools,” Buntzman said.

The new rental complex on Lake Trafford Road will include two and three-bedroom apartments,
a community center to hold meetings, offer healthcare assistance and more.

Another housing project is expected to add 179 rental-based single-family homes and townhomes. The Collier County Commission approved rezoning 50 acres at the northeast corner of Carson Road and Westclox Street.

Bill Burg, a Collier County resident, said housing like this is much needed in places like Immokalee.

“Whoever made the decision to slate it here probably made a wise choice, and then there’s a ready market for houses that are affordable, and people are going to be eager to have them,” Burg said.

The Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance will begin accepting applications in November for families with children who live in the area and earn between $30,000 and $60,000 a year.

They continue to accept donations and grants. Click here for more.