Homelessness plummets across Florida as SWFL sees a massive surge

NAPLES, Fla. (WINK) — Homelessness in Florida dropped more than 10% in the last year, but Southwest Florida is seeing a surge in family households experiencing homelessness.

According to Florida's Council on Homelessness, the number of homeless families jumped more than 300% in Lee County last year. Collier County did see a decline from the record 630 homeless families in 2024.

Kayla Wright, a single mother of three, has been living at the Campbell Lodge in Naples since June. The shelter is run by St. Matthew's House.

"I had nothing. I wasn't working. I had just gotten out of treatment," Wright said.

Wright tells WINK Investigates she struggled with addiction for years. But when she was pregnant with her youngest child, she knew she had to get into recovery.

"I was going through a divorce. I had four and a half years clean before I moved here," Wright said. "But then I went through a divorce and went off the wagon."

Between Collier and Lee counties, St. Matthew's House has 19 family rooms available. They're all full.

Michael Nojunas, the director of the Campbell Lodge, tells WINK Investigates there's currently a long waitlist. But once families can arrive, they find stability and accountability.

"Especially for the kids, especially for the young ones. It's the first time they've had structure," Nojunas said. "The first time they know where they're going to sleep. The first time they know they're going to eat tomorrow."

Studies from the National Center for Children in Poverty show kids who grow up in poverty are up to 50% more likely to suffer poverty in adulthood. Ben Bridges, the CEO of St. Matthew's House, says offering shelter for young families can help break that cycle.

"Really what we're doing is beginning this path toward breaking the intergenerational chains of poverty," Bridges said.

Wright has found fulltime work, her kids are in school, and she's focused on recovery. She hopes to move into affordable housing soon.

"My kids are definitely the reason why," Wright said. "But I've gotten resources here to go through therapy."

"You never know who might hear this story," Wright said. "There might be a woman out there struggling, living in their car who hears this story and knows that this option is available to her."

St. Matthew's House recently received a $100,000 grant from the Naples Children Foundation to support shelter and services for at-risk children and their families. The funding is expected to help around 130 children in the next year.