Affordable Housing On Sanibel Island
Affordable housing on Sanibel Island is possible to find through a wonderful non-profit called Community Housing and Resources (CHR). Formed in 1979, CHR was created to address the need for affordable housing on Sanibel. By 1983, the City of Sanibel had established the Affordable Housing Program.
The mission of the organization is to provide affordable housing for the families and individuals who work on the island and serve the Sanibel community. To be eligible for CHR housing you have to work on Sanibel full time or be a disabled or retired longtime Sanibel resident. Applicants are selected on specific criteria determined by how much their role strengthens the Sanibel community, years on Sanibel, and income and assets.
Currently, Community Housing and Resources (CHR) has 88 housing units on Sanibel, 74 of which are rental properties and 14 of which are Limited Equity Ownership (LEO) homes
Manatee Madness!
To help support the mission of Community Housing and Resources, CHR holds a unique fundraiser called “Manatee Madness”. Local artists donate their talents to creating unique manatee sculptures. These awesome pieces are then sponsored by local businesses and displayed around the community. The manatees are eventually auctioned off with the proceeds going to CHR.
For example, in 2021 Bailey’s General Store sponsored local shell artist Ginny Dickinson (check out her podcast episode).
This year, Ginny Dickinson created another manatee and local artist/Sanibel postal clerk Laura J. Bell created “Hey Mrs. Postman”. Check out Laura’s manatee at VIP Realty at 1560 Periwinkle Way.
Manatee Madness 2.0 runs through March 31, 2022. There are 24 manatees dotted around Sanibel & Captiva. Make a day of seeking them out and tagging CHR Sanibel for a chance to win a fun T-shirt.
Community Housing & Resources (CHR)
2401 Library Way,
Sanibel, FL 33957
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday
7:30 am – 4:00 pm
