Having a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and a stable job are things many of us take for granted. For some, this is not their reality. Now more than ever, people are struggling to find affordable housing. Grocery prices and bills have skyrocketed, and the job market is unreliable. This can ultimately affect our physical, mental and emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. It all starts at home, and this Affordable Housing Month, we want to highlight the critical housing needs right here in our community and what the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers is doing to address them.
Affordable housing is generally defined as housing in which the occupant pays no more than 30% of their gross income on housing, including rent or mortgage, utilities and insurance. This number exists to ensure that sufficient income is allocated to other necessities like food and health care.
According to the Florida Housing Coalition, in the state of Florida, approximately 2.4 million households pay more than 30% of their income toward housing. Over half of these households, or 1.3 million, spend more than 50% on housing costs…