Affordable housing crisis worsens in Collier County
There was a time, 30 years and more ago, when responsible leaders in Naples and Collier County recognized the need for affordable housing. Thousands of units were built, and essential workers were able to live in our city and county, within their means.
By the early 2000’s, leadership’s focus had changed to attracting the wealthy and accelerating the growth of our community. In 2008, when the Great Recession struck, our leaders made a fatal decision. They returned to the developers all the Housing Trust monies that had been collected and dedicated to future affordable housing projects, and proclaimed the need ended. One commissioner declared war on future affordable housing construction, assuring it would never again be built in her district.
Leadership’s focus dramatically changed, to building more parks and becoming a major tourist destination. While the cry from many in our population was to keep our quiet community as it was, the quest to make Naples and surroundings among the wealthiest regions in the country was irresistible.
By 2015 the error of these decisions was clear. Thousands of our workers had been forced to find housing in Lee and Miami Dade counties, and commute to their jobs in Collier County. The growing traffic on Interstate 75 and the number of sheriff’s vehicles parked at the borders of our county at the end of each shift, lay testimony to the increasing number of workers leaving our county for their homes daily.
This problem was readily obvious to virtually every employer and business owner, who joined together with other community groups to form an affordable housing coalition. In response to their pleas, our Board of County Commissioners (BCC) hired the highly respected Urban Land Institute (ULI) to study our problem and offer recommendations. Their report was issued in 2017. Its recommendations, many of which were ignored, are as relevant today as they were the day the report was issued.
Among the first to be tossed out was the observation that the BCC should be expanded to include “at large” members. The report stated our current commissioners, each of whom represents a particular district, have too much power to block zoning changes and new developments, with the requirement for a “super majority” -- ie 4 out of 5 votes -- for passage. Changes affecting a single district are often given fealty to that representative, expecting future reciprocation. And thus blocking proposals which may benefit the entire county.
ULI suggested other changes, including allowing greater density and reducing size, setback and parking requirements for affordable housing developments, encouraging construction in zones where public transportation exists and other needed modifications. These exact proposals are still under consideration by our BCC, which recently again postponed consideration to 2023. These changes are supported by county staff and were unanimously approved by our Planning commissioners.
In 2018 a referendum for a 1 percent sales surtax was approved by our voters. $20 million of this money was earmarked for the purchase of land for workforce housing. While the county’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) has urged that these funds be put to use, no rules have yet been promulgated and the money sits unused.
Collier County has among the highest impact fees in the state, and a near-worthless deferral program for affordable housing developers. We’ve been unable to even get this item on the agenda for discussion.
Hurricane Ian has tragically destroyed significant housing throughout our region. If there was ever a time for our commissioners to change the priorities for the future, it is now.
We are in a crisis. There are immediate actions our leaders can take, to provide temporary accommodations for those recently forced into homelessness. We must reset our collective agendas, as other cities and counties in Florida have done. Without nurses, teachers, waiters, construction workers, etc., how will our lives be impacted? We cannot sustain our quality of living without the people who clean our pools, cut our hair and bag our groceries. For too long these essential workers have been taken for granted. The time for our leaders to act is now.
We are not proposing that government build housing. Time and again in our country’s history, it’s been demonstrated that government-run housing is disastrous. What we can do is induce affordable housing developers to want to build in Collier County. Pass legislation and utilize funds so these subdivisions can be economically viable. There are developers who want to build affordable housing in Collier County. Just level the playing field and announce they are welcome!
Joe Trachtenberg is chairman of the Collier County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. He served for 11 years on the St. Matthew’s House board of directors, six as chairman. He is former chairman and CEO of Victaulic Company and retired to Naples in 2004.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Affordable housing crisis worsens in Collier County
