Collier County Schools relies on workforce housing due to the ongoing housing crisis

A surge of workforce housing developments has been proposed for Collier County.

Collier County’s typical home price is over $340,000, so the local housing crisis is probably not going away anytime soon, according to a recent article by Bella Line of Fox4.

The government of Florida is now addressing the problem on its own.

In Collier County, the Live Local Act is finally beginning to show results after going into force on July 1.

In an effort to provide Floridians with more affordable housing, the law offers tax advantages to developers.

Leaders of the Collier County School District said they hope the new law will entice more developers to move to the area, as the district has been affected by the national teacher shortage.

According to Valerie Wenrich, Chief Human Resource Officer of Collier County Public Schools, “If they say the rent is $1498 for a one-bedroom, it’s $1498 all-inclusive. Those who are really struggling to find a place to rent, the employees, and the missing middle, that really helps.”

According to CIG Communities Partner Gregg Fusaro, the sites they are bringing to the region include designating spaces for jobs in service, such as teaching.

As more people become aware of the Live Local Act and how they can use it to help create more affordability, Fusaro predicts that more will appear.

But the school system asserted that it cannot just depend on the Live Local Act to support its hiring efforts. They are searching for educators who have already found housing.

“We educate the general public about what it means to be a teacher and how to become a teacher through our ‘Teach for Collier’ program,” Wenrich added. “Anyone with a bachelor’s degree who loves and is interested in working with children is really what we’re looking for.”

Wenrich stated that they will keep attending and voicing their support when more workforce housing plans are submitted to the county.

The original article can be found on Fox4.

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