How rising prices may affect Collier County seniors

Florida is the pinnacle of retirement living–after all, who wouldn’t want to call this state home?

However,in this post-pandemic environment, some claim there are cracks appearing in such retirement plans. Furthermore, St. Matthew’s House is at the forefront of it, according to a recent article by Bella Line of Fox 4.

Director of Campbell Lodge for St Matthew’s House Michael Nojunas stated, “The seniors who lost their homes in the storm don’t have the resources to move into a new place.”

The hurricane he’s talking about is Hurricane Ian, which is still affecting life in Southwest Florida over a year and a half later. “Even if they were able to keep the lease, the prices have gone up and they just can’t afford it.”

Twenty percent of the current Campbell Lodge residents, according to Nojunas, are over sixty.

“We’re finding a lot of seniors who are first-time homeless,” Nojunas added. “They never imagined that something like this would happen to them. It’s not that the system failed them; sometimes we just can’t adapt to the changing world quickly enough.”

“The saying was $10 a day back then.” Ralph Woolam remarked, “For $300 a month, you could have an apartment, a house, or anything you wanted.”

The resident of Campbell Lodge told North Naples Community Correspondent Bella Line that he migrated to Florida in the 1980s, but said he became homeless in recent years due to a combination of changing circumstances in his life and increased expenses.

“The streets are rough for somebody who does not know,” Woolam stated. “I’m from Iowa, a real country boy, so it wasn’t bad for me, but I do have pity for people who are not used to it.”

Woolam claimed to have been homeless on Fort Myers’ streets for five years.

“One evening, when I was asleep, my bicycle and all of my belongings were taken. I realized I needed to seek assistance,” Woolam remarked. At sixty-three, he continued to take many buses before walking the last distance to Naples.

He has spent the last six weeks residing at the Campbell Lodge.

This article originally appeared on Fox 4

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