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Affordable
Housing Solutions

I Was Fired for
Speaking the Truth

by Joe Trachtenberg,
Former Chairman of Collier County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Here’s the letter I wrote to our commissioners, on behalf of

n January, the Collier County Affordable AHAC. You decide if I should have been fired for sending it:
Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) Dear Commissioners and County Manager,
Iunanimously re-elected me its chairman. I became chairman of AHAC in January 2022. I appeared at your
Yesterday the Board of County Commissioners February 8, 2022 BCC meeting to discuss the terrible state of affairs in
unanimously fired me. our county for workforce housing. I requested a place on a soon upcoming
On Monday, the day before the February 28 agenda to consider zoning changes, impact fee allocation and deferral,
Commissioners meeting, I sent the letter below and a plan for the $20 million surtax fund. I received what I thought
to each commissioner, requesting a place on their were nods of agreement. Obviously, I misinterpreted your responses.
March 15 agenda. My letter obviously struck a nerve. The solution In May 2022, the Planning Commission unanimously approved four
our commissioners found, in response to my pleas to finally give zoning changes, recommending the BCC follow their lead.
this important issue a hearing, was to get rid of me. Even unpaid On three different subsequent occasions in 2022, the BCC had the
volunteers should be allowed to express their opinions, without
four zoning changes on your agendas - each time they were dropped
consequences.
and/or postponed at the discretion of commissioners. (Once because
From the time I became chairman of AHAC fourteen months
summer was approaching, next to schedule a workshop that never
ago, I’ve worked tirelessly to explain the consequences of not
happened, finally because elections were near).
addressing Collier County’s workforce housing crisis. Under my
OVER A YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE MY APPEARANCE AND
leadership, for the first time ever the county staff and AHAC
THESE ITEMS ARE STILL NOT ON YOUR AGENDA.
are working together, developing real recommendations to solve
During this time a wide range of far less significant issues have
problems. I cannot be prouder of the progress we’ve made, or the
been addressed by our county leadership. You have consistently refused to
talented people on our staff.
discuss or consider any changes to county policies or practices dealing with
I’ve always spoken respectfully about our commissioners,
affordable housing.
explaining they have difficult job with pressure from many sides.
My message has consistently been, if you want workforce housing At what point does your refusal to discuss these issues become the
fixed our elected leaders must hear your voices. Citizens responded! headline?
Since the commissioners have done nothing to advance workforce Commissioner Hall advised AHAC that he would try to get us on the
housing, they find all these new voices troubling. February 14 agenda. That became the February 28 agenda, which then
Here are the facts, for those of you who care about our essential became March 14. Now this might be March 28. Why does this feel to me
workers and are concerned about our quality of lives without them. like every month in 2022, as I watched the days and weeks pass by?
• Last year a City of Naples consultant said we are short 10,000 I’ve seen your letters to constituents where you assure them this is a
dwelling units in Collier County. This number is growing by serious matter deserving AND RECEIVING your attention. In truth
500-1000 per year. we’ve lost an entire year — another year of inaction.
• The price of a decent single-family home in Collier County I am respectfully imploring you to allow this on your March 14
has risen to $500,000. This is out of reach for almost everyone in agenda, beginning with the four zoning changes, and followed by the
our workforce. other AHAC recommendations. You all claim to care deeply about this
• Over 48,000 workers in our county can no longer afford to live subject. Other counties in Florida are vigorously addressing this problem.
here. You can see them in their cars driving up to 3 hours daily, to Please let’s do something here.
and from Lee, Hendry, Miami-Dade counties and even further. As Joe Trachtenberg
jobs near to home present themselves, we will lose them. AHAC Chairman
52 Life in Naples | April 2023