Guest commentary: Understanding workforce through lens of AMI
Area Median Income (AMI) is one of the most useful ways to understand who makes up Lee County’s workforce and what types of housing they can realistically afford. In 2026, 80% AMI for a family of four in Lee County, which includes the Sanibel and Captiva workforce, is approximately $89,900 annually, while 50% AMI is approximately $56,200. Many of the occupations that keep our island community functioning including hospitality workers, retail employees, childcare providers, healthcare support staff, maintenance workers, nonprofit employees and public service workers fall within or below these income ranges.
Data from the Shimberg Center shows that more than half of Lee County’s renter households, where 85% of the SanCap workforce live, earn 80% AMI or less, representing over 50,000 households. Within that group, more than 29,000 renter households earn below 50% AMI. These households face the greatest housing challenges and are most vulnerable to rising housing costs.
The impact is particularly significant for Sanibel and Captiva. While the islands rely heavily on workers in hospitality, retail, healthcare, education, nonprofit services, local government and environmental stewardship, housing costs are often far beyond what these workers can afford. A household would need to earn approximately $65,500 annually just to afford the average Lee County one-bedroom fair market rent without becoming cost-burdened.
This is where Community Housing & Resources (CHR) plays a vital role. CHR’s residents are largely representative of the workforce segments most affected by the housing gap. The average CHR household income is approximately $38,853 annually, which is well below what is needed to afford market-rate housing in Lee County and dramatically below the cost of housing on Sanibel and Captiva. By providing affordable housing specifically for island workers, CHR helps ensure that the workers supporting daily life can continue to live and work within the community they serve.
Without workforce housing solutions, Sanibel and Captiva risk becoming increasingly disconnected from the very people who sustain their economy, services and quality of life. The AMI data illustrates that workforce housing is not a niche issue — it is essential infrastructure that supports the long-term resilience and vitality of the islands.
HAPPENING AT FEDERAL LEVEL
Federal housing policy continues to evolve as Congress considers and advances legislation aimed at addressing housing supply, affordability and program administration nationwide. Among these efforts is the ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan package that includes provisions related to housing development, federal housing programs, disaster recovery funding and regulatory processes.
While implementation details are still developing, several provisions may affect affordable and workforce housing organizations across the country. Potential impacts include changes to federal housing funding programs, adjustments to development and permitting processes, and updates to disaster recovery and housing assistance programs.
CHR will continue to monitor federal, state and local housing policy developments and evaluate how changes may affect housing opportunities for Sanibel and Captiva’s workforce, families and other community members.
For more information about the ROAD to Housing Act, visit https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/whats-in-the-21st-century-road-to-housing-act/.
Community Housing & Resources (CHR) is a not-for-profit organization with the mission to provide safe, quality, affordable housing for families and individuals who work in and serve the island communities. It was formed in 1979 to address the growing need for affordable housing in the Sanibel and Captiva area. CHR also serves as the city of Sanibel’s housing foundation under the Affordable Housing Program. For more information, visit sancapchr.org.