Families in Immokalee are moving into new apartments, thanks to the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance.
Three of the eight planned buildings located at the northwest corner of Lake Trafford Road and North 19th Street in Immokalee are now complete, with three more under construction. The community provides affordable housing for low-income families in the area.
Jean Santana, who previously lived in a single room with his wife and three children, is one of the new residents.
“This is very nice that people receive us with dignity,” Santana said. “Before, we had no privacy. Now, we can live quietly — the baby will have her room, and the parents will have their home.”
His 7-year-old daughter, Kesley, said, “This place is wonderful!”
The apartments are designed to be affordable, with rent starting at $775 a month and capped at 30% of household income. Julie Borden, with the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance, said the need for housing like this is urgent.
“Over 40% of the population here is under the poverty line. And they're living in these horrible, horrible conditions, not with just their own family. There could be 12 or more people living in there that are not related in conditions that nobody should live in," Borden said.
Borden said the housing plan began after Hurricane Irma's devastation in 2017.
Each apartment has hurricane-proof windows, and the buildings can withstand Category 5 winds. The first three buildings are ready, and the remaining units are expected to be completed by 2025.
Furniture for the apartments was donated by Naples First Presbyterian Church. Families also have a new playground, with a soccer field to follow.
“So this is a gift from God from Christmas [...] We were not living comfortable because we were all living in one room. And that's why I pray for this house and all day I pray. I say I don't need, God, at all nothing for Christmas. Just give me the house, the apartment to live with my family,” Santana said.
If you would like to donate to the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance, you can visit their website here .