Housing symposium to address growing problem in South Lee

"Daddy, if you break the house, are we going to move?" piped up a youthful voice as young Nick Grafton, 6, helped his father choose a new hammer at Ace Hardware.

Grafton, busy making repairs on his small San Carlos Park rental home, was stocking up on nails and tools.

"Repairing the gutters has been on my "honey-do" list for weeks," he said as the temperature teetered at the 90-degree mark Thursday afternoon. "It's finally made it to the top of the list, but the list never seems to get any shorter."

Just like the majority of South Lee County residents, Grafton is doing everything he can to keep a roof over his family's head as affordable housing continues to be a top concern for homeowners and renters alike.

"I'd love to move my family into a home that doesn't need constant repair — one that we own," he said. "But who can afford that?"

In an effort to unearth new ideas about, and perhaps build new solutions to, the workforce-housing problem in Lee County, the Horizon Council will be hosting a Workforce Housing Symposium on Thursday, June 22.

I don't know anyone who doesn't have some suggestions and ideas about the housing situation in South Lee County," said Tom Grafton. "Jobs are everywhere, but rent is up and no one can afford to buy, so there is no one to take the jobs."

As well as presentations by speakers, members of the audience will participate in electronic polls on a number of questions, helping to provide an inclusive and thorough picture of the issue and hopefully bring new ideas and solutions into the picture, said Dunn. She added the council is hopeful that a large number of people from the community will attend to provide diverse viewpoints.

"This is not going to be the Horizon Council speaking to people about the solutions and what we think should be done," said Jennifer Dunn, spokesperson for the Lee County Economic Development Office. "It's more an interactive, exploratory and learning session."

With Lee County growing by more than 28,000 residents in 2005, and projections estimating a 79 percent increase in population in the county by 2030, Dunn said the Economic Development Office and the Horizon Council is hearing concerns about workforce housing being expressed by area business owners. In response to those concerns, a task force was formed in the fall of 2005 to begin researching possible solutions. Information from the symposium will be added to their findings in any future recommendations to the board of county commissioners, said Dunn.

"We are hoping to get the right people in the room to spur the right conversation and generate new ideas," she added. "We are really not gearing up to send out a message or have a specific outcome."

The registration deadline for the symposium is Monday, June 12. Registration forms are available online at www.swflworkforcehousing.com or by calling 338-3161. The $15 registration fee includes lunch. The symposium will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and be held at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, 8099 College Parkway, Fort Myers.