April 2026 Newsletter

PROGRAM UPDATES

Pilot Workforce Housing Project Gaining Momentum, Going Before Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners

Our affiliate the Collier County Land Trust’s (CCCLT) pilot Build-to-Rent-to-Own (B2R2O) workforce housing project is making progress and gaining momentum. CCCLT will serve as the land partner.

If approved, Project Gateway will deliver 36 townhomes, all with 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms, including a 1-car garage. The development will be centrally located very near an I-75 interchange, creating ideal access for members of our workforce. Lennar has been selected as the builder through a competitive RFP process and the renderings have been drafted. In the coming weeks and months, the proposed project and its location on 4.2 acres off of Golden Gate Parkway will go before the Collier County Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners for approval.

With your partnership, Project Gateway will not only expand workforce housing options today—it will lay the foundation for a sustainable, scalable model that can benefit communities across Collier County well into the future. To stand with us in this transformative work, there are several ways you can get involved....

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Housing Navigator Participant Shares Her Journey to Stable Workforce Housing

At our 2nd Annual Housing Matters luncheon, Cara Frank, an essential worker with Collier County, shared an update on her journey to stable housing after receiving help through our Housing Navigator Program and an interest free loan from our Workforce Housing Stabilization Fund.

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DONOR NEWS

2nd Annual Housing Matters Luncheon Raises $35,000

More than 85 people attended our sold-out annual fundraiser that featured keynote speaker Jonathan Vilma, a highly decorated retired NFL and College Football Professional and Florida-based workforce housing developer. Vilma shared his powerful and personal story of becoming an affordable housing advocate and offered his solutions to the housing crisis in Florida including his interest in partnering with us for future affordable housing projects.

In addition to the keynote address, guests enjoyed a catered lunch, a year-end review of The Housing Alliance accomplishments, partnerships and programs, and learned about our exciting, future initiatives to support attainable housing in Collier County – including a demo of the Housing Compass - a new, online housing affordability portal for Collier County, to launch in 2027.

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Collier Community Foundation Invests $100,000 in Housing Compass Portal, Launches Matching Gift Challenge

We received a $100,000 grant from the Collier Community Foundation to invest in the Housing Compass portal.

This investment will provide catalyst funding to create a dynamic online platform designed to address critical gaps in data accuracy, accessibility, and availability of income-restricted housing across Collier County. To amplify the impact of its contribution, the Collier Community Foundation has introduced a matching gift challenge, encouraging community partners and donors to double their support.

Housing Compass will enhance access to income-restricted housing by streamlining the search process for available units....

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IN THE NEWS

Gulf Coast News

New Database Launching in Collier County to Help Residents Find Affordable Housing

The word is officially out about our new Housing Compass portal under development. Gulf Coast News stopped by the Housing Matters luncheon to learn more about it and see the demo. In this news story Michael Puchalla was interviewed about how the centralized database will help connect residents with income-restricted vacancies and track housing needs across Collier County.

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SEEN AROUND TOWN

Heritage Bay Friendraiser

Board president Mary Jo Diegel hosted a friendraiser at her club Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club for an educational evening to introduce more than 60 of her neighbors to our mission. Her fundraising committee also put together fabulous gift baskets for a raffle that raised $1,500 to support our attainable housing solutions. The event brought awareness to the challenges our workforce is facing - including the hardworking staff at Heritage Bay, and invited attendees to get involved.

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FineMark Bank Housing Solutions Reception

Our partners FineMark Bank & Trust, a division of Commerce Bank, hosted more than 30 people for the Housing Solutions in Naples Reception where guests enjoyed an inspiring presentation and cocktail reception to learn more about our innovative, solutions-driven approach to tackling one of Southwest Florida's most pressing challenges: attainable housing.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

June

27

Save-the-Date HELP Housing Expo

Save-the-date for our affiliate HELP's annual housing expo where participants will have the opportunity to attend informative workshops on homebuying, renting, credit improvement and budgeting, connect with HUD-certified housing counselors for personalized guidance, as well as meet with lenders and other key partners to discover local and state resources that support homeownership and tenant rights.