Homelessness is changing in Lee County

Homelessness doesn’t look like it once did, with people working two or three jobs at a time and still not able to support themselves or their families.

One place is stepping in to help, the Lee County Homeless Coalition held a news conference on Monday.

WINK News reporter Amy Galo was there as it happened to find out how the community could help.

You hear it all the time: Every little bit counts, and in the case of the coalition, that’s especially true.

It operates on state and federal funding but those come with income restrictions.

Donations, on the other hand, are considered unrestricted funding.

And that lets the coalition help people who fall into gaps, people like your next-door neighbor.

Michael Overway, Executive Director of the Lee County Homeless Coalition said, “I think typically, the folks that we had been accustomed to serving would be the folks that most people would refer to as chronically homeless, right? They’ve been out in the streets a long time.”

Well, what if I told you our local teachers, nurses and police officers are now joining the population?

“Those are folks who are typically above the income bracket that we would normally serve, but here they are, you know, living on the streets,” explained Overway.

Something which preschool teacher Jessica Vivas can attest to, “We were a two income household, and things were just getting too rough, you know.”

Vivas and her husband, who worked as a manager at AT&T were forced to live out of their car back in 2023, with a two-year-old, and another child on the way.

“It was so challenging, like thinking about, like, okay, what’s going to be our next step? Where are we going to live in a few months? Sometimes trying to figure out what we’re going to eat for dinner,” she explained.

But then her husband reached out to the Lee County Homeless Coalition which helped them find a home and got them into some of the coalition classes.

“We learned so much with just, you know, our daily basis of life, with how we’re going to face it,” said Vivas. “When you break that wall down and being able to be open about receiving help, that’s what can change your life. 360.”

In the last two years, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Lee County skyrocketed from $850 to $2500.

Add Hurricane Ian to that and the face of homelessness has forever changed.

Overway said, “We used to say that almost tongue in cheek before: ‘Hey, your neighbor could be homeless.’ Well, now they are.”

And as homelessness increases in our community… “We’re seeing a lot more senior citizens and a lot more single parents than we ever have before,” he said.

Getting ahead of it is key.

“On average, it costs us about $3500 to keep a family stably housed, right? To rapidly rehouse someone is averaging closer to $10,000 per family,” he explained.

This means that if you’re sitting at home right now, unsure how you’ll raise enough money for next month’s rent, the Lee County Homeless Coalition wants to hear from you.

“Call us. We’ll try and help you right before you fall into homelessness,” said Overway.

For more information on the Lee County Homeless Coalition, click here.

The Coalition and Leadership Lee will also be hosting a fundraiser November 15, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at La Ola Surfside Restaurant in Bell Tower Shops.

The event will be hosted alongside Lee Health, LCSO, LCEC, La Ola Surfside Restaurant, FSW and other local business leaders.

Tickets for entry will be $30. They include a free drink and appetizers from La Ola Surfside, live music, free ice cream from Lee County Sheriff’s “Ice Cream Response Team” truck, silent auctions and raffles.