Collier County has many appeals: Near-endless sunshine, wellness initiatives, a robust health care system, recreation opportunities and a public school system with consistent “A” district ratings from the Florida Department of Education.
It also has some 145 county positions open as of Sept. 27, mainly in public services, growth management community development, public utilities and transportation management services industries, according to a public Collier County job posting report. From Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 27, Collier County advertised about 550 government jobs.
Top open positions included code enforcement officers, crew leaders, environmental specialists, equipment operators, library specialists, plant operators, project managers and utility specialists.
Common factors for not taking a job, regardless of whether it’s in a place with lots of sunny splendor, come down to high living costs, lack of affordable housing and commuting challenges, all issues about which Collier County residents have voiced concerns.
“Once you adjust for cost of living, that’s where challenges lie in maintaining talent in our market,” said Kristina Park, president and CEO of Greater Naples Chamber.
Maximum annual wages for the first level of the aforementioned positions, according to the Fiscal Year 2025 Board of Collier County Commissioners Pay and Classification Plan, fall below the required annual income of $102,152 before taxes a single adult with two children needs to make to earn a living wage in Collier County, per Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator.
“The cost of living continues to rise as wealth continues to be attracted to our area,” Park said. “We’ve got to put some intentional focus on making sure we understand how we can create housing that is affordable.”
Plans are currently in the works, said Michael Puchalla, CEO and executive director of The Housing Alliance Inc., a private nonprofit organization launched in March to address the growing housing affordability crisis in the region.
“Commissioners have been approving developments that are now giving a 30-year commitment for some units that would be more affordable to our workforce,” Puchalla said.
More than 4,000 housing units have been approved, he added, with options in various part of Collier County. Stock Family of Companies’ Allura in North Naples has 10% of its units income and rent restricted. Marlowe Naples on Whitaker Road has 43 units reserved for households earning no more than 80% of the area median income, with corresponding rent caps.
Other planned developments in central and North Naples include Aspire, Ascend and the Haven. Each of these developments have more than 20% of units income and rent restricted for workforce, with a preference for essential service personnel, including county workers.
The key is making community members aware of what’s available. Otherwise, people seeking government jobs may opt for neighboring Florida areas such as Charlotte County, with its cheaper housing options and growing job market, or Hendry County, a more rural option with a lower cost of living.
“We’re trying to ensure that as these units come online available for rent, the community is aware of it,” Puchalla said.
The Housing Alliance has a Housing Navigator Program, which helps employers and prospective hires find housing that aligns with certain income levels. People can visit The Housing Alliance online at thehousingalliance.org or call directly for help.
“Our goal is to bring information together in a centralized location where people can get some of these questions answered,” Puchalla said. I hope to leave them with a little more positive outlook on the future of workforce housing in the community.”
This story was published in The Naples Press on Oct. 18.
