LARC seeks help finding rental after group home destroyed by Ian
The Lee Association of Remarkable Citizens’ (LARC) riverfront group home located on the Caloosahatchee River was impacted by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge, leaving it non-repairable for the five senior citizens who resided there.
“Hurricane Ian impacted us in many layers,” LARC Executive Director Angela Katz said. “What we are trying to accomplish is to find a temporary rental home to allow us the time we need as we rebuild.”
It will take between 12 to 18 months to build a new home for the residents, which will be located on a six-lot site behind the Kohl’s plaza in Cape Coral.
Five senior citizens, who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, have occupied the home for more than 25 years on the river. LARC’s situation is unique, as it offer 24-hour care for their residents.
The residents that have been displaced from the group home are living with their families as a short-term solution, while others are bunked together at the Cape Coral group home.
Katz said they are fortunate to have that option right now.
“It’s a good short-term, but not for a year, or 18 months. They want their own home and their own space. That’s what they are used to,” she said. “Even though they are not connected by bloodline, they are a family.”
With the five being separated, Katz said it is disruptive for them, as they have all lived together for a long time.
“Getting them back in our normal day-to-day routines is what we are hoping for,” she said. “They have lost their homes and 90 percent of their possessions.”
Prior to the hurricane, Katz said the home rental market was hard to come by and now with so much damage, new people are entering the market looking into rentals as they fix their homes.
The hope is that the community will help LARC find that temporary home. The help can come in a variety of ways, she said, from someone wanting to give back and do not know how, to a snowbird who is not coming back to Florida for the foreseeable future and wishes to rent their home.
“One of the challenges for us to go through the traditional rental search is you can’t explain what you are and what you need,” she said.
That help, Katz said could even be finding a Realtor willing to really take the lead, helping them navigate the market and finding a temporary home.
“We are prepared to pay rent just like anyone else,” she said.
The preference is to find a rental in North Fort Myers, with a secondary preference in unincorporated Lee County, Lehigh Acres area. LARC officials are looking for a minimum three-bedroom, two-bath home with one bathroom including a walk-in shower.
Those who can offer a helping hand, or consider making a donation, can call Katz at 239-334-6285, extension 210, or email angelakatz@larcleecounty.org.
LARC was established in 1954 and provides 24-hour supervision in a “person-centered, home-like environment,” giving residents the opportunity to learn life-skills training. The nonprofit’s mission is to “empower and support individuals with disabilities and their families to reach their full potential.”