A new affordable housing option has opened in Fort Myers to address the challenge many families face with expensive apartment complexes in Lee County.
The Lee County Housing Authority launched a two-story apartment complex to provide more accessible housing options.
The property, located at the intersection of Central Avenue and Franklin Street, was donated by the City of Fort Myers and upgraded with funding from the Lee County government. This initiative aims to offer new, income-based housing in the area.
“It happened quick,” said Marcus Goodson, executive director of the Lee County Housing Authority. “We only had 67 days to renovate this property and bring it back online. We’re excited about it. It’s only 7 units, but it’s going to be a beautiful development for 7 families.”
The Central Pointe Apartments held its grand opening on Wednesday and consists of seven two-bedroom, one-bath units, including an ADA-accessible unit.
“They have the granite countertops,” said Beverly Reed, housing manager for the City of Fort Myers. “It is nice. It’s very nice. I would even live here.”
The demand for affordable housing became evident after just one open house.
“In the last few weeks, probably about 300 calls,” said Luis Sagastume, inspector and supervisor for the Lee County Housing Authority. “There’s a lot of need for, you know, for housing.”
And that demand continues to grow.
“We can’t build enough affordable housing, enough workforce housing, you can’t build enough,” Goodson said. “A lot of families can’t afford market rate. And we see what’s happening in the country, funding being cut, so families are in desperate need of affordable housing. And this is 7 more units that we’re bringing online in this community.”
Goodson expects the units to be filled within a couple of weeks. Families interested in these units can visit the property or contact the .