Lee County is setting a deadline for home owners to apply for federal money to repair damage from Hurricane Ian more than three years ago. Commissioners also are awarding money for more affordable housing.
Lee commissioners have voted to set a deadline of December 31 for homeowners to apply for money from Washington. They can apply to cover costs of repairing Ian damage, or to elevate their homes.
They must submit applications to LeeCares by the end of this year. That agency can be reached at 239-382-5453. The LeeCares office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 9400 Gladiolus Drive, Suite 270. That's in a shopping and commercial plaza on the northeast corner of Gladiolus and Bass Rd.
On Tuesday, commissioners also awarded $60 million for three affordable housing projects in the Fort Myers area. Each will receive $20 million. The money will help to build 1,024 apartments for rent. To qualify for lower affordable rent in Lee County, a household must make less than about $58,000 a year.
Because of the government shut-down, commissioners are giving other developers more time to qualify for federal Ian recovery money. Some had faced deadlines in January or February. But Commission Chair Kevin Ruane said with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development closed, deadlines must be extended.
"I just have some heartburn in making a decision today," Ruane said at a meeting on November 4. He was referring to making a decision to stick with the winter, 2026, deadlines. "Because maybe the government can come up, maybe we can have some clarity on that."
Commissioners voted to consider new developer deadlines at a meeting in January.
On a separate matter, commissioners were told that some plans for affordable housing projects had fallen through. Lee County had awarded $10.5 million in post-Ian federal funds to those projects, so that money now is available for other needs.
Commissioners voted to award $7.5 million of those funds to build a new Emergency Medical Services station on Pine Island. The other $3 million was split between several infrastructure improvement projects around Lee County.
Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News. He also teaches Journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
