Lee County has been tackling the nationwide problem of affordable housing. This week, the Lee Board of County Commissioners allocated $7.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act Recovery & Resilience program to two affordable housing developments.
The allocations include:
- $5 million to the Southwest Florida Affordable Housing Choice Foundation, Inc. for preservation and reconstruction of 375 units in the Southward Village, a public housing complex off Edison Avenue. The complex now has 195 units of public housing. Those units will be reconstructed and 185 units will be added in the same complex. Units will be rented to households with income at or below 140% of the area median income.
- $2.5 million to Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry County, Inc. for infrastructure development in a planned subdivision of 36 single-family homes. Units will be sold to households with income at or below 80% of the area median income.
Both will receive funding through Dec. 31, 2024. Both projects will leverage additional grant funding and donations for project completion.
The organizations are required to report quarterly to Lee County on project progress and performance. Lee County will review and submit the required quarterly and annual reports to the U.S. Treasury with information related to each of these projects.
Through the American Rescue Plan Act , Lee County was provided $149 million in funding to support the local response and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funds are designed to assist governments in responding to the pandemic, addressing its economic impact, and establishing a foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.
Funds are being allocated for infrastructure, public health, negative economic impacts, revenue replacement and more. Additional details about allocations are available at www.leegov.com/arpa.