Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance has received two grants from the Collier Community Foundation, amounting to $15,000 in funds for two major projects including a new website design for digital accessibility and engagement, and the final phase of work on a playground, including fencing, for youth from low-income families. 

The Collier Community Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. Selected organizations receive grant dollars from the Foundation’s discretionary funds. These funds were gifted by donors who believe in the Foundation’s ability to mobilize resources to address the community’s greatest needs. 

The Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance is building a hurricane-safe and affordable community of eight buildings, each with 16 apartments for low-income families. Once fully completed, the community will house more than 640 people. A $10,000 grant from the Collier Community Foundation will help finish construction on the first playground and secure the area with fencing. 

An additional $5,000 grant will fund upgrades to the existing website, providing a more user-friendly experience that reaches more potential donors, volunteers and community members looking to learn more about Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance. Easy-to-use online forms and interactive elements will simplify the process for supporters to get involved and remain engaged. In the future, the new website can be upgraded to add a tenant portal for online payment and more convenient communication. 

“The support of the Collier Community Foundation over the past few years has made a real impact in achieving our mission to provide safe, affordable housing to hardworking families in our community,” said Arol Buntzman, chairman and CEO of the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance. “The new website will allow us to streamline our services and reach more people than ever before, and the playground will make the new community an even more welcoming place for residents to raise their children.” 

Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance recently hosted a Move-in Celebration at the first completed building in the community. For more information, visit ImmokaleeFairHousing.org. 

Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance 

The Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) created in 2018 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the damage done by Hurricane Irma to already substandard trailers and shacks rented by farmworker and other low-income families in Immokalee. The IFHA vision is for these families to have access to secure, affordable, hurricane-resistant rental housing, which will strengthen the community by fostering health, education, dignity and financial stability. The organization has embarked on a project to create community awareness and raise funds for a 128-rental unit complex in Immokalee. For more information, please visit ImmokaleeFairHousing.org.