Publix Helps Make Homeownership Possible with $100,000 Donation
Naples, FL (May 12, 2023)—Publix Supermarkets Charities, Inc. has donated $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Collier County to help make one family’s dream of homeownership come true. The six-figure gift has funded the cost of building materials for a home in Habitat’s new Immokalee subdivision, Kaicasa.
That home will soon offer stability and independence to a family of four who, like so many, has been affected by the high cost of housing. Priced out of most rentals on their own and unable to qualify for a traditional mortgage, Rafael and Julia have been forced into untenable and overcrowded conditions. They share a neglected rental trailer with three other family members, splitting monthly costs to make ends meet. Hoping to provide stability and a better life for their children, they applied to partner with Habitat to build and purchase an affordable home.
“For many families in our community, gifts like the one from Publix are the difference between having a safe and decent home and living in untenable or overcrowded conditions,” says Habitat Collier CEO, Rev. Lisa Lefkow. “It’s not just about the house. It means one more family gets that hand up towards breaking the cycle of poverty.”
Kaicasa, now under construction on state road 29 just south of Farmworkers Village, is slated to be one of the largest Habitat subdivisions in the country. It will be completed in three phases over the course of ten years, bringing 281 much-needed homes to Immokalee when finished. The first homes, including the one built in partnership with Publix, are expected to close this summer.
Habitat partner families undergo an intensive approval process prior to being selected to purchase their homes with a no-interest mortgage. The partnership goes beyond just a transaction of the purchase itself, with future homeowners investing sweat equity both on and off the job site. Partners work alongside volunteers helping to build their homes and those of their neighbors, participate in pre-purchase education courses, and work with mentors who help prepare them for successful first-time homeownership.
About Habitat for Humanity of Collier County
Habitat for Humanity of Collier County’s goal is to empower struggling families to build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. Habitat Collier is one of the oldest and most successful Habitat affiliates in the nation. For 45 years, they have served the needs of Collier County’s workforce, building homes in partnership with families, volunteers and donors, and then selling them with an affordable mortgage. Since 1978, Habitat Collier has built nearly 2,500 homes in Naples and Immokalee.