Access to affordable housing for seniors – and housing sites to replace those damaged by last years’ hurricanes - were on the agenda Thursday for newly appointed state Secretary of Elder Affairs - Carole Green. Secretary Green spent the morning in Charlotte County…talking to seniors and local officials. She visited a trailer park…and got her first close up look at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s mobile home village off Interstate 75 in Punta Gorda.
The 60-acre site…with 550 trailers…is home to victims of hurricane Charley. Green is touring hurricane-damaged areas to gauge seniors’ needs in the wake of the storm. The lack of affordable housing is significant. She says aid directed at seniors needs to regain its post-storm momentum…

“We’ve got to go back to remembering what it was like just 10 days post hurricane when everybody was pulling together and working together. Unfortunately we’ve gotten far enough away from the hurricanes that people are starting to forget what got us there. And they’re getting a little more territorial again. So I think we’ve got to all get our hats back on that say we’ve got to pull together and work together and find creative ways of doing it.”

Secretary Green began her day in Charlotte County – then traveled to Port St. Lucie & Fort Pierce on the east coast. She says hopefully her fact-finding tour will result in greater public awareness of senior housing needs…and efforts to address those needs.