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Fort Myers proposes raising affordable‑housing levy to $1 million and expanding rental assistance
Summary
Mayor Anderson proposed increasing the city's affordable housing levy from $750,000 to $1,000,000 and continuing rental assistance and infill home construction programs; council discussed coordination with the housing authority and constraints on one‑time resource allocations.
Mayor Anderson presented several housing initiatives the city plans to prioritize, including increasing the affordable‑housing levy and continuing a popular rental assistance program. He said the recommended budget increases the levy "from 750,000 to 1,000,000" to boost the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The mayor described ongoing infill home construction—two homes under contract and two more under construction—and said staff will launch another application round to identify eligible buyers. Councilmembers asked whether the city was coordinating with the local housing authority; staff said the program was structured to avoid duplicating the authority's efforts but agreed further coordination would be appropriate.
On homelessness, staff outlined compliance obligations tied to a state law (referenced as House Bill 1365) and proposed partnering with human‑services stakeholders on strategies to reduce encampments and negative impacts on residents and businesses. Mayor Anderson said staff will evaluate temporary housing options and pallet shelters as one possible short‑term intervention but noted few municipalities have widely adopted that model.
Council sought clarification about grant programs and the resource tradeoffs given wide capital needs; staff said the council can flag priorities as part of the budget adoption.
