Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance Receives Grant

The Presbyterian Church USA announced a grant late 2020 of $250,000 from their Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) program to the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance (IFHA), a 501c3 corporation. The grant is intended as support for IFHA’s planned 128 unit rental community for farmworker families in Immokalee. PDA representative Melana Scruggs lauded the program, which will replace dilapidated and over-priced trailers and shacks with hurricane resistant, affordable two and three bedroom apartments on a ten acre lot on Lake Trafford Road. Dr. Arol Buntzman, Chair of IFHA, said that this will be a model of what happens when affordable housing is done right. Rents will be a fraction of what is being paid now, and yet the community will be self sustaining. Plans include a community center and early learning programs for children. A fundraising campaign to build out the community is underway.