Collier County Community and Human Services Division – Housing Operations
Firefighters. Police officers. Teachers. Government employees. Service workers. Nurses. Medical Assistants.
These are just a handful of hardworking individuals and families in our community who struggle to find housing that is affordable in Collier County. In fact, a recent report by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) found two out of every five households were cost burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their monthly income on housing. Even more sobering, 61.4% of jobs in Collier pay less than $33,250 per year, while the average monthly rental cost hovers over $1,500 a month, and the average home price is more than $341,000.
“It is the opinion of the panel that Collier County absolutely has a housing affordability problem,” according to the Urban Land Institute (ULI) report, which can be found here.
Approximately 40,000 people commute daily from outside of Collier County. These employees work in Collier but live in Lee, Charlotte or other counties where they spend their wages on rent, taxes, mortgages, groceries, gas and other necessities. Many public-sector employees and large segments of the private sector simply cannot afford to live in Collier County. Their daily commutes from neighboring communities add to traffic congestion, and diminish quality of life and active citizen participation.
Providing access to affordable housing closer to jobs reduces commute times and costs, increases quality of life and assists in supporting a healthy local economy. That is why the county is working to address the issue in a variety of ways, including the creation of special incentives for developers to provide housing at affordable prices in their plans and offering programs to assist prospective homebuyers and renters. Current examples of communities with housing affordability options include Allura, Bristol Pines, and Dockside among others.
Collier County’s Community and Human Services Division offers a wide range of resources for anyone interested in the topic of affordable housing, seeking it or providing it. We are proud to support our community, families and all individuals looking for the perfect place to call home.
