Fort Myers

Fort Myers sits along the Caloosahatchee River in Southwest Florida, a city that swells with tourists and snowbirds each winter while its year-round residents deal with a rising cost of living that has outpaced wages for years now. The average household income in the area hovers around $65,000, but that number hides a lot of struggle underneath it, especially for people working service jobs that don't come close to covering rent. Lee County's point-in-time count identified roughly 1,900 people experiencing homelessness in 2023, a number that's almost certainly higher now given how fast housing costs have climbed. The heat here is no joke, and summer humidity can be dangerous if you're outside for long stretches, so shade, water, and knowing where to cool off matter as much as anything else. St. Matthew's House runs shelter and meal programs and is one of the more established resources in the area, while the Salvation Army of Lee County offers emergency assistance and a place to get warm meals and sometimes a bed. Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice also operates in the region and can help with things like utility assistance or connecting you to other services if you ask. This city can feel like it wasn't built with you in mind, but there are people here who see you and want to help — you're not invisible, and you don't have to figure this out alone.