More than 600 homes and apartments that will be built are desperately needed after Hurricane Ian hit two years ago. On Tuesday, Lee County Commissioners approved $89 million for affordable housing projects.
"We have been required to establish certain construction standards to make sure that they are resilient, they’re elevated if they’re within a flood zone and that they can withstand a hurricane," Jeannie Sutton told NBC2.
The proposals were recommended for funding by the CDBG-DR Affordable Housing Development Evaluation Committee. The funded projects will provide for the development of 412 affordable multi-family housing units and 262 affordable single-family homes. They include:
Single-family housing projects:
• Diplomat South, North Fort Myers − $10.5 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $15.6 million for 44 single-family units
• Heritage Heights 2, Harlem Heights − $20 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $34.3 million for 106 single-family units
• McNeill Village 2, North Fort Myers − $4 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $5.3 million for 14 single-family units
• Red Hibiscus 2, Bonita Springs − $9 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $31.4 million for 72 single-family units
• White Coral Estates, City of Fort Myers − $6.5 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $10.2 million for 26 single-family units
Multifamily housing projects:
• Bayshore Pines, North Fort Myers − $17 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $68.1 million for 180 multifamily units
• Hermosa North Fort Myers II, North Fort Myers − $5.25 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $28 million for 88 multifamily units
• Ekos on Evans, City of Fort Myers − $17 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $53.8 million for 144 multifamily units
Lee County says construction will begin early next year and expects listing to appear online 18 to 24 months after that.
"This is going to provide an opportunity for folks to achieve homeownership maybe for the first time or get into an affordable rental unit that they desperately need to be able to make ends meet," said Sutton.