LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE HOUSING

As seen in the Fort Myers News Press

Doctors without Borders is known for treating people where the need is greatest around the globe. They have responded to cholera outbreaks in Haiti and the Middle East, distributed anti-malarial pills in Africa, and saved lives with critical vaccines in some of the most precarious places in the world.

But their latest destination was much closer to home. It was right here in southwest Florida. It was Immokalee.

DWB was stationed here for two months, serving the 10,000 farmworkers who have continued to work despite the pandemic. When an American town like Immokalee joins a long list of impoverished locations needing DWB service, it is time to take notice.

The conditions in which many farmworkers are forced to live creates an almost perfect hotbed for the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing is impossible when farmworkers live together in overcrowded, substandard trailers and houses. Inadequate facilities in some of their homes make it impossible for residents to wash frequently. Masks are ineffective when sharing sleeping quarters with as many as 8 or more individuals, many unrelated, in a broken-down mobile home. Making matters worse, rent is charged by the person, including babies, and it often consumes more than 50% of a family’s income.

The high rents and substandard living conditions are a direct result of a shortage of decent housing available for low income families in Immokalee.

The impact of two natural disasters – Hurricane IRMA and COVID-19 – should be a clarion call for a new vision for home ownership and livable rental communities.

Habitat for Humanity of Collier County, Rural Neighborhoods and Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance (IFHA) have teamed up to work on making safe, decent, affordable housing opportunities available to as many Immokalee residents as possible. That will provide them a safe haven in which to raise their families and contribute to the community.     

Habitat Collier began operations in Immokalee 42 years ago, and has built more than 900-affordable homes in the community since then and completed five different subdivisions. For many families, purchasing a home through Habitat is their only opportunity to own a home of their own, breaking the cycle of poverty, and giving their children the opportunity of starting a new cycle of prosperity. Their sixth Immokalee community, Esperanza, is now under construction and recently welcomed home a dozen new homeowner families. When completed, this neighborhood will boast 60 single-family homes.

Rural neighborhoods has constructed five rental communities since 2004 consisting of 317 rent-restricted apartments. Casa Juarez, its new 24-unit apartment community, breaks ground in January, 2021 contributing to its Esperanza Place – Eden Park Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

But even with both of these organizations’ significant accomplishments, there is still a large shortage of decent affordable housing in Immokalee. Two years ago, Dr. Arol Buntzman, a former migrant worker who has been successful developer, entrepreneur, and educator, gathered a group of interested parties to discuss how this situation could be resolved. Under Buntzman’s leadership, the group founded the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance, whose mission is to replace the substandard and overcrowded rental housing in Immokalee with affordable, safe, hurricane resistant rental properties. From those humble beginnings, a viable plan has been put together, initial funds have been raised, a parcel of land is under contract, and work on infrastructure has begun to prepare for the 128 units that will be constructed.

Safe, affordable housing is not a luxury. It is a basic human need and a critical way of protecting the residents of Immokalee from the spread of future virus pandemics and hurricanes.

So why do we allow this unacceptable situation to exist right in our backyard?

Rev. Lisa Lefkow

CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Collier County

Steven Kirk, 

President, Rural Neighborhoods

Arol Buntzman, Chairman, CEO

Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance. Inc.