Charity building 28 apartments for recovered homeless in East Naples
St. Matthew's House will expand to serve an additional 200 or more individuals a day in housing and addiction recovery programs.
A long awaited project is Justin's Village in East Naples that will have capacity to house 104 individuals.
St. Matthew's House is in the final phase of raising $18.5 million to expand capacity for the increasing homeless population in Southwest Florida.
The nonprofit that provides emergency and transitional housing, along with addiction recovery assistance, has raised $17.3 million toward the goal in the quiet phase of a fundraising campaign that ended in December.
The Collier County-based organization is reaching out to the public for the final $1.2 million.
An anonymous donor has pledged to match the gifts dollar-for-dollar up to $750,000. In addition, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation has committed $750,000 in matching funds.
Steve Brooder, president and chief executive officer of St. Matthew's House, said the fundraising campaign will allow for expansion to serve more than 700 people a day in housing and addiction recovery programs. Currently 500 individuals a day are served.
More: Homeless shelter for women and children opening soon in Fort Myers. What to know
'This is a pivotal moment for St. Matthew's House and the community we serve,' Brooder said. 'Hundreds of individuals are ready to change their lives, but they are waiting for the needed resources to be available to them to make that possible. By coming together as a community, we can ensure that no one faces hunger, homelessness, or addiction alone in Southwest Florida.'
Homelessness and individuals at risk of not having a place to live is increasing in Southwest Florida due to scarcity of affordable rental housing, low wages and job losses.
Some of the cost-of-living challenges are tied to property damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022 with its 14-foot storm surge in Lee County, which was about half that in Collier County.
More: Annual point-in-time homeless count conducted in Naples, Collier County
Annual 'point in time' homeless counts in both communities are done in January. The final numbers won't be available for several months.
The counts through volunteers who span out to homeless camps, soup kitchens and day labor locations are rough estimates and often are lowball figures. Many homeless don't want to be anonymously interviewed and opt to stay hidden on count days.
What could be contributing to undercounts going forward is a new statewide law that took effect Oct. 1 prohibiting public camping and sleeping, and federal detention and deportation of immigrants in the country illegally.
More: Supreme Court ruling on homelessness leads the way for Florida public camping ban
The count numbers are reported to state and federal agencies and help state and local homeless coalitions secure grants.
In 2024, the count in Collier showed 660 homeless and Lee was at 2,789. Statewide 32,462 individuals were homeless in January 2024, according to the Florida Coalition to end Homelessness.
St. Matthew's runs the only homeless shelters in Collier; the Campbell Lodge in East Naples and Immokalee Friendship in Immokalee. It also has the Jill Wright Retreat Center in Alva in east Lee County, which will expand from 34 beds to 50.
Late last year St. Matthew's House opened a shelter in Fort Myers on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard with private dorms for women with children and beds for single women. That was funded through the quiet phase of the fundraising campaign and created capacity for 72 women and children.
Construction is expected to start in the next year on transitional housing of 28 apartments, Justin's Village, west of Airport-Pulling Road on Calusa Avenue in East Naples. Justin's Village will house up to 104 individuals.
When Justin's Village is ready for occupancy, some men in the transitional housing in Golden Gate, Wolfe Apartments, will be relocated to free up space at Wolfe for additional women.
The 21st annual Cars on 5th brought thousands to downtown Naples on Feb. 8, a big fundraising event for St. Matthew's House.
The event with exotic cars is organized by the Naples chapter of the Ferrari Club of America and is part of what's become the Naples Automotive Experience weekend. Comedian Jay Leno was in town for the weekend and announced the public phase of the fundraising event for St. Matthew's House.
More: 10 best Naples area restaurants we wish made USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year list
The 2024 Cars on Fifth raised $1.7 million. A figure for what was raised at the more recent event was not immediately available.
To support St. Matthew's House, visit the website at stmatthewshouse.org/journeytogether or call 239-774-0500, ext. 185.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: St. Matthew's House in final phase of $18.5 million campaign
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