Lee’s growth boom brings challenges
The good news for Lee County is it is growing, with the number of businesses increasing by 18% over the last three years and a population that has expanded by 5% to more than 800,000 residents since 2020.
The issues that those new businesses and residents are facing primarily include a lack of affordable housing for workers and a shortage of qualified applicants to fill positions.
With that backdrop, a full house of county business leaders met at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers on Feb. 1 for the annual review of the Horizon Foundation and Horizon Council. Funded by local businesses, the organization works closely with the county’s Economic Development Office as well as the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on policy and improving the business climate.
Sanibel City Councilmember and outgoing foundation President Holly Smith said a shortage of available workforce housing for employees is one of the main issues that businesses are having in attracting and keeping workers.
“Workforce housing is a big deal,” she said.
For Lee Health Chief Financial Officer Ben Spence, who helps oversee the county’s largest employer, a shortage of workers has been so pronounced that the organization spent about $150 million on traveling nurses in 2022. That dropped to roughly $80 million last year and is on pace to be lower this year. Before COVID, Spence said they spent about $4 million to $5 million on traveling nurses. Lee Health hired more than 1,000 people last year.
Spence, who is treasurer for the council, said there are currently about 1,200 unfilled positions at Lee Health. With approximately 15,000 workers, it is the county’s largest employer. Spence said Lee Health has a shortage of nurses, certified nursing assistants and information technology workers.
Spence and Smith said they have been working on a micro-credentialing program that could serve as a central place for workers seeking jobs to find what is available and to get credentialed locally. Spence said many young professionals do not know what jobs are available and in demand before they start entering the workforce or pursuing their education. Lee Health works with local universities to help support staffing and development.
Foundation President Mark Stevens said they are working with the county to invest in the long-term vitality of a diverse economic environment.
“We saw our economy continue to grow,” he said of 2023.
According to statistics provided by the foundation, the median family income rose from $68,727 in 2020 to $85,884 in 2023.
The county has seen year-to-year job growth of 8.6%, according to Kellie Burns, a NBC news anchor who emceed the event. She said that was the largest increase in jobs in the state, with more than 20,000 jobs added.
“We need high-wage jobs, quality schools and quality health care,” Burns said.
In the first three quarters of 2023, there were 2,850 new businesses added. Burns said news reports on increased car traffic in Lee County are emblematic of the county’s growth.
Much of the county’s business growth has been centered in the Alico Road area, near the county airport. Burns said there are currently about 50 active development projects in that area.
Smith said she was “proud of the progress we’ve made.”
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