In November 2007, Lee County became the 300th jurisdiction in the country to announce its “Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.” In a competitive process, Florida Gulf Coast University was awarded the contract. Dr. Tina Gelpi, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Community Health for FGCU, together with Debra Lynne, a homelessness expert from New York City (now living in Southwest Florida), were identified as co-facilitators.
The initiative has been funded by the five cities of Lee County (Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel/Captiva), The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Chico’s, The Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers and Lee County Department of Human Services. The Lee County Human Services Council provides oversight for the project.