provided to The Santiva Chronicle
Working for a nonprofit can bring greater meaning than just a paycheck. Still, if living in a community isn’t affordable, nonprofits struggle to hire the best and brightest. That’s where Community Housing & Resources makes an even bigger, more meaningful impact for Sanibel and Captiva.
“If we didn’t have access to affordable housing, we couldn’t hire people who could live on the islands and do the things necessary to accomplish our mission, which is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s ecosystems,” said James Evans, Chief Executive Officer of the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation.
Even competitive salaries at a nonprofit can fall short of for-profit pay, and that’s before adding the cost of living. CHR eases that burden by offering high-quality, affordable housing with rents based on salary. “Having CHR’s affordable housing completely changes our employees’ outlook on life and their job,” Evans said, with 20% of SCCF staff living in CHR housing.
“Honestly, the fact that our staff has the opportunity for CHR affordable housing separates us from a lot of other communities,” said Evans. “Our employees are able to spend more time doing the great work they do for our organization without having to stress about a commute each way. They’re more entrenched in the community. They get to spend more time with the people who live here. They’re spending money on our local businesses. They’re utilizing the entertainment on the islands and participating in more events.”
That elevates not only our nonprofits, but all of Sanibel and Captiva.“CHR plays a big role in making SanCap different than other places I’ve lived… It’s a true community.”
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