Homeless count in Collier County: Uptick expected because of Ian and rental rates

William White knows where he can park his van at night and not be bothered.

The 80-year-old, who wears his U.S. Navy cap proudly, says he’s not so good with dates but knows fire and smoke damage in his East Naples apartment two years ago was a life changer.

There was too much damage, he got evicted, and he’s been homeless ever since – living in his van. He’s got a secret spot at night and says it’s important to keep it to himself.

“I have one place I can stay,” he said.

White was among dozens of homeless individuals Friday who came and went from the annual “point in time” homeless count off Bayshore Drive in East Naples where they could get free supplies, like clothing and hygiene kits, and a hot meal.

The count is done over two days every year in Immokalee and greater Naples to get a snapshot of how many people are homeless or near to it. The information is tabulated and submitted to state and federal agencies for data reports.

The Collier County Hunger & Homeless Coalition, which conducts the count and sends teams out to canvass the region and interview the homeless, needs the data for pursuing funding for rapid rehousing and supportive services.

The teams go to known homeless camps, soup kitchens, day labor hiring spots and shelters to interview individuals about the causes for their homelessness, family situations, health, veteran status and more.

The big unknown is if the count will yield an estimate by how much Hurricane Ian, which hit Sept. 28, caused an uptick in homelessness.

Michael Overway, executive director of the coalition, points to the numerous issues that can impact the results and how some people who lost their rentals or homes from Ian damage may have left the region.

In addition, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office has relocated some longstanding homeless camps in East Naples to inland Golden Gate due to new development in East Naples, he said.

Ian’s damage to rentals is on top of landlords selling their properties before Ian for top dollar because of the region’s hot real estate market or raising rental rates by hundreds of dollars.

Earlier this month, some of Collier's largest employers shared at a forum how their employees are struggling to find affordable housing, which includes teachers and medical personnel, and how long-term solutions are needed.

More:Greater Naples Leadership hosts affordable housing forum

What is certain is the phone rings off the hook at the coalition’s office with people seeking help.

“We are getting 50 to 60 calls a day of people asking for assistance,” Overway said.

What were the 2022 findings before the hurricane?

The 2022 count results found 462 homeless countywide.

“I think the count will see an increase slightly,” Overway said

Tabulating this year’s findings and making sure there are no duplicated surveys takes time.

Volunteers doing the surveys in Immokalee saw 84 people who are literally homeless and another 200 who are extremely poor but housed, Overway said.

The farmworker community where poverty is widespread did not face devastation from Ian compared to coastal areas ravaged by storm surge.

Friday’s temperatures in the upper 50s are likely to damper the count and it was rainy in Immokalee on Thursday, Overway said. Bad weather prompts some homeless people to stay in their camps.

Collier County Commissioner Rick LoCastro, who went Friday to some homeless camps with paramedics, said the real homeless number is always higher than anyone thinks.

Often people want to stay in the woods rather than stay in a shelter, he said.

Cpl. Mike Nelson, who serves as the homeless liaison for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, said the number of homeless has probably quadrupled because of Ian.

He points to residential damages in Isles of Capri, Goodland, Chokoloskee, Plantation and East Naples.

“How do you quantify it? I don’t know if there is a way to truly know,” Nelson said. “Look at how many people are lined up to get services.”

Hurricane Irma hit Sept. 11, 2017, and Nelson said there still is no real number of how many became homeless then.

Dale Mullin, president of Wounded Warriors of Collier County, which provides housing for veterans, said last July that Wounded Warriors was on the verge of ending veteran homelessness, then Ian hit. The Collier-based group has no affiliation with the Wounded Warriors Project.

More:Wounded Warriors of Collier County could end homelessness among veterans with latest project

“We have housed a number of veterans who lost their houses in Ian,” Mullin said. “Most of them are seniors and that is the real spike.”

Wounded Warriors closed last summer on a 10-unit apartment complex in East Naples and soon the fifth veteran will move into a unit.

Leases for tenants in the units before the purchase are being honored and some renovations are needed. The complex can house 15 to 20 veterans.

Another one of Wounded Warrior’s homes for veterans was flooded from Ian.

“Ian was a major setback for (tackling) homelessness and the scarcity of inventory,” Mullin said.

The reasons for being homeless are as varied as life

White, the Navy veteran, is getting Social Security  and has benefits from the Veteran’s Administration. He says he is saving money but admits to being a bit picky about getting back into an apartment.

For one, he’s not sure about having a roommate. He also doesn’t want to be around someone who smokes or drinks.

What frustrates him is he found out too late that his former landlord sold the complex where he had been living before the fire.

“I was never told the unit was being rented again,” he said.

Michael Garbacz, 68, was hit on his bicycle by a hit-and-run driver several months ago in East Naples.

More:Homeless and limited affordable housing took a big hit in Collier from Hurricane Ian

He was hospitalized for his injuries that included losing his sight in his left eye and five broken ribs.

He had worked as a plumber before retiring in 2018 but it was the bicycle accident that caused him to wind up on the streets.

“Now I am (homeless) because I can’t see and I can’t get any help anywhere,” Garbacz said. Where does he sleep?“Anywhere I can,” he said, wanting to leave it at that.

Thomas Gregor, 52, who served in the U.S. Marines, came to Naples from Philadelphia after his wife died.

He initially landed in Miami after a tour of Florida and the U.S. Then he found Naples.

“I was wandering the country,” Gregor said. “I’ve seen 32 states.”

When he worked, he did construction, cable installation, and roofing, he said.

In Naples, he’s done some restaurant prep work.

For now he lives in St. Matthew’s House homeless shelter in East Naples but that will come to an end in April, he said.

“The problem with Florida, all of Florida, is housing,” he said.

Steve Brooder, executive director of the St. Matthew’s homeless organization, said the increase in homelessness is noticeable after Ian and because of rising rental rates before the hurricane.

“The wait lists at our shelters have increased. There is more first-time homelessness and elder homelessness,” he said.

“People displaced by Hurricane Ian are still working through insurance claims and repairs and have nowhere else to go and so are often staying in damaged structures.”

Brooder pointed to data that the Naples-Marco Island area posted a single-family median monthly rental price of $5,446 in the second half of 2022, ranking it first on national brokerage HouseCanary’s list of most expensive single-family rental markets in the U.S.

Naples experienced a 24% year-over-year median rental market increase in the final six months of 2022, he said.

“We have a bottleneck with people in our housing unable to move on due the lack of affordable options,” Brooder said.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Hunger & Homeless Coalition of Collier County does annual count. Cold weather no help