Promoting affordable housing in Collier County

Collier County officials will meet to discuss creating affordable housing for teachers, nurses, firefighters and government employees at a meeting Wednesday morning.

They’re looking at bringing hundreds of new units to the area. It’s no question that finding affordable housing these days is a challenge: People who work in Collier County often commute more than 30 minutes one way to reach their jobs because housing costs are so high. Many people say their rent is going up by almost $600; according to Collier County officials, the costs are skyrocketing because the county is dealing with more demand than supply.

Other counties are trying to build more apartments to give families more options. The Collier County Planning Committee’s 9 a.m. meeting will discuss a new project that would add 300 multi-family apartments or owner-occupied dwelling units. A Collier County spokesperson says around 60 of those units will be set aside for households earning less than the area median income.

In some parts of Naples, a one-bedroom apartment is going for more than $2,000 per month. The average rent for these affordable one-bedroom apartments would be anywhere from $1,400 to $1,700.