Self-sustaining, affordable housing going up in Immokalee
The plight of the farmworker and other low-income families in Immokalee is deplorable. The majority of available housing currently consists of 70-year-old mold infested trailers and shacks, with holes in the floor and non-working appliances. Often families are forced to share these hovels, and rent can be 60% or more of household income. Children frequently miss school due to respiratory issues.
However, the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance is doing something about the problem. We are in the process of constructing safe, affordable housing on Lake Trafford Road in Immokalee. When completed, the project will consist of 128 two- and three-bedroom apartments in eight buildings, at an average cost of $200,000 per apartment. The first building has been completed, and starting in June, 16 Immokalee families will be leaving their decrepit trailers and moving into their new living quarters. Construction of the second building has begun, and funding has been pledged for the third.
With the completion of the first building, the concept of a self-sustaining community becomes clear. Farmworker and other low-income families will now be living in clean, hurricane-resistant housing, with rent no more than 30% of household income. The project includes a community center with a classroom and a computer lab as well as a large room for training and other meetings. And Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance’s calculations show that the rental income will be more than sufficient to provide for property management, timely repairs of facilities and replacement of appliances, insurance, other costs, and even a separate fund to cover times when residents are temporarily unable to pay.
How can this be? The primary factor is that there is NO PROFIT MOTIVE! The owner of the community is the nonprofit corporation Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance, which is administered by a volunteer board of directors. The bylaws of the organization forbid board members from receiving a salary or benefiting financially in any way from the project. In addition, as the community is being funded through grants and tax-deductible donations to the extent possible, there is little or no interest expense.
Therefore, we are able to show potential donors they can help us build housing that will not require additional funding. Donors become part of something that will last and be available for Immokalee residents now and in the future. Decent and affordable housing is the missing link to help hardworking families in Immokalee escape the cycle of poverty, raising the standard of living throughout the community.
Could this be a model for other organizations and other low-income communities? Let’s hope so!
Arol Buntzman is the board chair for the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance. To learn more about the community or to make a donation, please visit ImmokaleeFairHousing.org.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Self-sustaining, affordable housing going up in Immokalee
