Lee County, founded in 1887, is located on the southwest coast of Florida. The unincorporated areas of the county encompass 662 square miles, whereas the three cities of Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Sanibel cover 149 square miles. Tourism remains Lee County's number one industry with many retirees seeking refuge from the cold north winters.
The Lee County Consolidated Plan presents an innovative and distinct plan to promote affordable housing and community development throughout the county. The Action Plan details the allocation of $2.7 million in Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnership Program, and program income funds for a variety of community improvements. These funds will focus on improving housing conditions through rehabilitation and new construction, promoting economic development, and making physical or neighborhood improvements in the Page Park, Pine Manor, Dunbar, Charleston Park, and Harlem Heights Neighborhood District's.
Through extensive intergovernmental coordination between the Cities of Fort Myers and Cape Coral with Lee County, major efforts were made to broaden public interest through media involvement, resident participation, consultation with affordable housing providers, housing committees, non- housing community improvement organizations, social service agencies, non- and for-profit organizations, the establishment of special advisory committees, and Board of County Commissioners approval of Citizen Consultation and Participation Plan (CCPP). Lee County made a considerable effort to all of these entities in developing the Consolidated Plan. Moreover, the Plan adheres to the citizen participation requirements of the Final Rule published in the Federal Register on January 5, 1995.
Staff from Lee County's Community Improvement Office (CIO) presented the process, goals and objectives of the Plan to various organizations, held one major Town Hall meeting on July 6, 1995, and several public hearings (4/18/95, 7/6/95, 7/26/95). CIO staff also maintains detailed documentation of compliance with citizen participation regulations, such as the dates, times, place and purpose of each meeting or public hearing, the dates required public hearing notices were published, and the opening and closing dates of public comment time frames in an internal file.
The dates and times of public hearings and meetings were established early
in 1995 to ensure adequate notice to the residents and organizations of Lee
County. All notices for public hearings, workshops, and Town Hall meetings were
published in the major newspaper, the New-Press, and local community
newspapers, the Community Voice and LaSemana. Public notices
were forwarded to all human services agencies via COM-NET, an electronic
bulletin board system created by the Community Coordinating Council of Lee
County, Inc. (CCC). Flyers announcing the meetings and hearings were sent to
members of the Association of Provider Organizations, and Coalition of Emergency
Assistance Providers, which mailings reached about 95% of the direct human
service providers in Lee County. Flyers were posted in public places county
wide, and distributed as handouts at all of the meetings.
Lee County is one of fastest growing counties in the southwest Florida
region. The County's population has increased from 205,266 people in 1980 to
357,550 people in 1993, a 74.2% increase. This compares to a 28.4% increase for
the State of Florida. By the year 2000 the county's population is projected to
be 435,795. According to the 1990 U.S. Census, in Lee County, the median age
was 42, the median family income was $32,310 and 9.2% of the population fell
below the poverty level. Of those residing in Lee County, the overwhelming
majority are White, 6.6% are Black, and 4.5% are Hispanic.
The Lee County Board of Commissioners has designated the five most blighted neighborhoods within the County as Neighborhood Districts (ND). The five neighborhoods of Page Park, Pine Manor, Harlem Heights, Charleston Park, and Dunbar have demonstrated a need for community redevelopment, affordable housing, increased economic development opportunities, and enhancement of direct social services delivery. Because these areas are in the most distress, they also receive a great deal of the County's federal funds.
The two most critical housing needs in Lee County are to increase in the number of new affordable houses and the rehabilitation of the existing housing stock. In 1990, there were 140,124 occupied housing units in Lee County, 72% of which were owner occupied. Of the total occupied housing units in Lee County, 7.8% were found to be substandard, with 6.4% of owner-occupied homes and 1.4% of renter-occupied homes found to be substandard. In Lee County, 14.2% of all homeowners are extremely-low and low income families. A newer need is for affordable rental housing for those who are not able to afford their own home.
There is a great need for housing rehabilitation for extremely-low income families who are experiencing problems with their house and the cost burden of rehabilitation. This situation is especially acute among large multicultural families. In addition, 47.8% of Lee County's elderly residents have incomes below 51% of Lee County's median. This indicates the need for housing rehabilitation for the elderly to repair and modify their homes for accessibility purposes.
According to the Lee County Property Appraiser, the 1992 just value assessment was $95,312 for single-family homes, $79,727 for condominiums, and $38,865 for mobile homes for all of Lee County. The 1990 Census data supported this, showing that 50% of owner-occupied units were valued between $50,000 and $99,000. The average value of single-family and condominium units was $87,519 In Lee County in 1990, the value of the median owner occupied housing unit was $84,300 and the median value of a renter occupied unit was $417, making housing unaffordable for many low and very-low income residents. As Lee County continues to see growth in the housing industry, it seems many of the new units are unaffordable for low and very-low income residents.
Although the majority of homes in Lee County were relatively new, the construction standards throughout the 1970's were inadequate, and hurricane construction standards were not effective until the early 1980's. Therefore the 5,590 owner-occupied homes and the 1,516 renter-occupied homes built before 1960 are over 30 years old and more than likely necessitate housing rehabilitation.
There is presently public demand for expanding the size of owner-occupied housing units to more than 3 bedrooms, 2 baths to accommodate large nuclear families and large numbers of unrelated individual living together to cut costs. Moreover, as the citrus industry continues to move south, overcrowding in Lee County will become a more serious problem, especially in areas where large numbers of seasonal farmworkers and migrants reside.
There is a great shortage of affordable, vacant, for-sale homes in Lee County. This necessitates the need for a homebuyer's assistance program for extremely-low and low-income families for both existing and newly constructed homes. In 1990, only 1,363 homes, vacant for sale, were affordable to families within incomes up to 80% of the median.
In unincorporated Lee County, there are 1,162 cost burdened, owner-occupied families with incomes of 80% or less of the median income for Lee County. This demonstrates the need for increased housing rehabilitation assistance to allow these families to maintain and preserve their homes.
In 1994, the Homeless Coalition said the daily number of homeless on the streets of Lee County was 1,241. Of that number, 40% are families, 35% need substance abuse intervention and treatment, 21% need mental health treatment, 43% present medical problems, and 87% have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
In May of 1994, a Lee County Homeless Coalition survey identified one parent female headed families, mentally or emotionally ill persons, homeless with health problems, homeless local residents, and victims of domestic violence as the five primary homeless populations not adequately served in Lee County. Affordable housing, especially supportive to permanent housing, was listed as the number one gap in services for the homeless. Supportive services, especially medical treatment, taking services to homeless in the streets, prescriptions, case management, transportation, parenting skills, employment placement, utility assistance, rent/mortgage assistance, and child care were listed among the top ten gaps in homeless services.
On July 10, 1995, Lee County was awarded a HUD Supportive Housing Program grant in the amount of $4,097,458 to address the gaps in the Homeless Continuum of Care as identified above over the next 3 years. The Salvation Army, Ruth Cooper Center and AIDS Task Force intend to implement the programs described as soon as the SHP award is made available for disbursement.
As of June 19, 1995, Lee County received 1,369 certificates and vouchers to help extremely-low and low-income families live in suitable housing. The Section 8 Program is a federally subsidized program administered by the City of Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (FMCRA), a Public Housing Agency, and by the Lee County Housing Authority (LCHA), to provide rental assistance to eligible extremely-low and low income families. At the present time there is a long waiting list because the FMCRA has not taken any Section 8 applications since September 1994. The FMCRA hopes to begin taking applications again in September 1995, since there is a great need by Lee County residents for Section 8 certificates/vouchers.
Moreover, FMCRA was recently awarded 14 certificates through the HUD HOPWA Program for victims of AIDS/HIV and their families. The FMCRA recently applied for 10 units under the HUD Family Reunification Program, and 50 regular certificates under the Fair Share Housing. The Lee County Housing Authority (LCHA) works with both residents of public and assisted housing and Section 8 Rental Assistance to facilitate the transition to homeownership. The LCHA has only nine Section 8 Voucher openings, and administers Lee County's public housing program. It has 426 persons on its combined waiting list. It operates 142 public housing units, 22 Farm Labor housing units, and 18 RECD Rural Housing units. Community Houses and Resources, Inc (CHR) administers Sanibel's housing program. CHR's target group is persons with extremely-low, low, or moderate incomes, many of whom live and/or work on Sanibel. Income eligibility for prospective tenants is determined through the completion of an application, and by a strict reference check.
CHR owns 38 rental units. It recommends tenants for three additional rental units. Less than 42% of Sanibel's Below Market Rate Housing units have been partially funded by HUD, primarily for land or housing unit acquisition. As of September, 1994, the CHR assisted 41 families residing in its units
All of the public and assisted housing units are fairly new. At the present time none are in need of demolition but some are in need of rehabilitation.
In addition to an increase in general services, service providers for special needs populations state the following particular needs:
The barriers to affordable housing are major concerns throughout unincorporated Lee County and are seen as two primary issues: (a) the affordability of existing housing, and (b) the affordability of newly constructed housing. Housing discrimination is seen as a barrier in both of these areas. The barriers to affordable existing housing include: the cost of new construction, the cost of site preparation (particularly sites located in floodplains), impact fees, and necessary infrastructure, implementation of new hurricane standards for new construction, taxes on properties located in high- tax areas, cost of potable water from wells in many areas of Lee County, and poor credit histories of many low income families, which inhibit conventional financing.
There are a variety of impediments to existing housing rehabilitation. Some of these impediments are: a lack of local construction codes for existing properties which then must be brought into compliance with codes for new construction; the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) ordinances for rehabilitations located within a 100 Year Floodplain; the restrictive nature of Florida's Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) regulations involving the elimination of over crowded conditions by not allowing existing septic tank systems to be expanded; and the lack of knowledge of how bad credit histories may prevent low income families from receiving housing assistance. Affordable housing rehabilitation is in many situations the only way to help low income families remain in homes they can afford, while also being brought into proper health and safety compliance standards.
In order to achieve fair housing practices, Lee County will complete an analysis of the impediments to fair housing in the County as its initial objective. This analysis will describe method, responsibilities, assignment, evaluation feedback, and time lines. Lee County's three-phased strategy toward affirmatively furthering fair housing includes Community Awareness, Laws and Incentives, and Monitoring. During the next 3 years, various activities will be implemented and in 1998 a re-assessment of progress will be made and adjustments to these strategies will be incorporated into future plans. The Lee County Division of Equal Opportunity will administer Fair Housing efforts in conjunction with other county departments and community organizations. The combined efforts of government, the general public, and the business community will result in improved awareness and compliance with the Fair Housing Act
Lee County has over 140,000 housing units, 50% of them were built before 1979 when lead-based paint was still in use. According to the local Public Health Department, elevated blood lead is a reportable condition in Lee County. Approximately 73% of the cases of increased lead exposure (>10 ug/dl) occurred in areas where there is the greatest concentration of housing units built prior to 1979.
Lee County plans to develop, over the next five years, the necessary infrastructure to test and eliminate lead-based paint and the possibility of lead poisoning from housing units built before 1978. In addition to establishing the necessary infrastructure to provide a Lead-Based Paint and Poisoning Hazard Control Program, Lee County plans to inspect identified priority housing units during the next five years and conduct necessary abatement procedures as a normal part of its rehabilitation of existing housing units in unincorporated Lee County. The program shall consist of several components: identification of priority housing, inspection, testing, temporary relocation when necessary, abatement and follow-up inspection.
The five-year program plans include community education through the Public Health Department on the hazards of lead-based paint and poisoning, Lead-Based Paint certification training for local inspections, contractual arrangements with private industry for abatement, and development of a computerized record tracking system. This assistance program will be available for both homeowners and landlords to be utilized in inspecting and abating lead in their housing units.
On June 6, 1995, Lee County held a Town Hall Meeting for residents to present the top identified community development needs of Lee County and to brainstorm as to solutions to these needs. Those in attendance joined a focus group according to their interest in a particular need. The following three needs were developed:
Many of the housing and community development objectives and priorities focus on increased investment on the five County designated Neighborhood District's of Harlem Heights, Page Park, Pine Manor, Dunbar, and Charleston Park. The housing objectives include an increase in the supply of affordable housing through new construction and the housing rehabilitation programs. Community development objectives focus on the revitalization of the five Neighborhood District's, as well as other areas in Lee County experiencing dire need such as Pine Island and Bonita Springs.
Lee County's rationale for targeting the above areas for housing assistance investment and community development is to stabilize the neighborhoods in these areas to commence their rebirth through a combination of public and private investment. Lee County's aim is to make these areas more attractive for private investments by the installation of public improvements, establishment of safe neighborhood programs, provision of affordable new housing, rehabilitation of existing affordable housing, and creation and implementation of economic development opportunities.
Priorities for affordable housing in Lee County include: housing rehabilitation of existing homes, Homeownership Assistance, both for new and existing homes, enhancing affordable housing activities for Charleston Park and Harlem Heights Neighborhood Districts, Rental Housing Assistance, Fair Housing Initiatives, Supportive Housing and Services for persons with special needs, Housing and Supportive Services for the Homeless.
In addition, Lee County will provide State Housing Initiative Partnership funds to leverage its CDBG and HOME funds. Finally, Lee County intends to involve non-profit and private-for-profit entities in the delivery of its affordable housing programs, such as rental rehabilitation and the construction of new rental housing.
Although federal funds are spent it these ND areas, the communities of Pine Island, Bonita Springs, North Fort Myers, and East Fort Myers also receive money for eligible projects. These communities are the targeted area for the Affordable Housing Homestead Program, which will be funded with CDBG funds and a $500,000 HUD HOPE3 grant awarded to Lee County in June of 1995.
The following community development priorities result from the needs of the five County Neighborhood District's: stimulate economic development, which offers adequate job training and job placement opportunities; assist with infrastructure and public facilities improvement for cost- burdened residents living in low-income, blighted areas; coordinate human services among public and private service providers to increase recreational and educational opportunities; and support efforts of community-based crime prevention, focusing on prevention and/or intervention strategies with teenagers and young adults.
The goal of Lee County's Anti-poverty Strategic Plan is to help individuals and families rise above the poverty level, become self-sufficient and to eliminate systemic barriers to success. To achieve this goal, Lee County, in conjunction with city, state and regional governments, and with non-profit agencies and private organizations, has designed and implemented various strategies and programs to overcome barriers to success. A number of social service agencies within Lee County administer programs such as Partners in Family Self-Sufficiency, assisted child care, job training and placement, emergency assistance, and housing and financial counseling.
Within Lee County there are over 50 Federal, State, local, and private programs currently providing services to the community. The primary Federal programs include Community Development Block Grant, HOME, HOPE3, Supportive Housing Program, Housing Opportunities For Persons With AIDS (HOPWA),Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) Emergency Food and Shelter Grant Program, and public housing. The State programs include State Housing Initiative Partnership Program (SHIP), Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), Low Income Emergency Home Repair Program (LEHRP), Elderly Home Emergency Assistance Program (EHEAP), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Community Service Block Grant (CSBG), and Net Ban Assistance for Fisherman affected by the statewide gill net ban. Local resources include County General Fund dollars, Community Agency Support Program (CASP) (financial assistance to county non-profit human service organizations), Partnership In Family Building Program through Social Services, and an variety of state mandated programs. Private programs include the Care-To-Share (electric assistance through the Florida Power and Light Corporation), the Banking Partnership of Lee County, various local lending institutions' affordable housing programs, and a wide range of non- profit programs.
The Lee County Consolidated Plan has been developed and implemented through a collaborative effort of public and private, for- and non-profit organizations. Several community needs assessments were created and implemented to determine the housing and non-housing needs in unincorporated Lee County and the City of Sanibel.
A comprehensive survey of all local, direct service, non-profit providers
was implemented jointly by staff from Lee County and the cities of Fort Myers
and Cape Coral. Lee County, Fort Myers and Cape Coral pooled their efforts in
surveying direct service providers in Lee County. This survey was implemented
to adequately gather information pertinent to the Plan, and to ensure that
intergovernmental coordination took place during the developmental process
between the three entitlement areas in Lee County.
The Board of County Commissioners of Lee County (BOCC), through its lead agency, the Department of Human Services, Community Improvement Office, submitted the following One Year Action Plan for unincorporated areas of Lee County and Sanibel for FY 1995-1996. Approximately $2,727,344 in Community Development Block Grant and HOME entitlement funds, unprogrammed prior years income, and program income sources will be spent of the following proposed projects:
The majority of the proposed projects in the One-Year Plan are targeted for the five Neighborhood District's of Page Park, Pine Manor, Dunbar, Harlem Heights, and Charleston Park. These five areas have been declared the most blighted areas in the county and therefore are in need of the most physical improvements. The Lee County Housing and Development Corporation (LCHDC), which is an approved Community Housing Development Corporation, will spend the majority of its funds in these five areas as well.
Through the County entitlement funds Lee County a variety of housing goals have been set for the following year. In combining these funds the County proposed to increase the supply of affordable housing for 72 households through housing acquisition/rehabilitation, 10 households through new construction, and 30 households through down payment or closing cost assistance.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
MAP 6 depicts proposed HUD funded projects for one neighborhood at street level.
Dennis Simon
Principal Planner, DCI
83 Pondello Road, Suite #1
Fort Myers, FL 33902
PH: (941) 656-7930
