Lee Commissioners award more than $89.25 million in grants

09/18/2024

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to award $89.25 million to eight affordable housing development proposals funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery allocation to Lee County.

The proposals were recommended for funding by the CDBG-DR Affordable Housing Development Evaluation Committee. The funded projects will provide for the development of 412 affordable multi-family housing units and 262 affordable single-family homes. They include:

Single-family housing projects:

  • Diplomat South, North Fort Myers − $10.5 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $15.6 million for 44 single-family units
  • Heritage Heights 2, Harlem Heights − $20 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $34.3 million for 106 single-family units
  • McNeill Village 2, North Fort Myers − $4 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $5.3 million for 14 single-family units
  • Red Hibiscus 2, Bonita Springs − $9 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $31.4 million for 72 single-family units
  • White Coral Estates, City of Fort Myers − $6.5 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $10.2 million for 26 single-family units

Multifamily housing projects:

  • Bayshore Pines, North Fort Myers − $17 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $68.1 million for 180 multifamily units
  • Hermosa North Fort Myers II, North Fort Myers − $5.25 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $28 million for 88 multifamily units
  • Ekos on Evans, City of Fort Myers − $17 million in CDBG-DR funding. Total project cost is about $53.8 million for 144 multifamily units

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28, 2022. In early 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the $1.1 billion allocation of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds to support Lee County’s long-term recovery efforts.  At least 70% of the grant must be used for projects that benefit low-to-moderate income households, which HUD defines as a family at or below 80% of area median income.