It might seem unusual for a small church in a rural community to purchase a 16 unit apartment complex in order to offer homes to people but that is exactly what we have done at St. Columba Episcopal Church. You may be scratching your head and asking yourself why we have taken on such a large and daunting project in the midst of a situation that has strained our resources.
Jesus calls us to minister to our neighbors and we are answering that call.
When Hurricane Irma swept through the Florida Keys September 10th, 2017 the storm destroyed homes and buildings but not our community. We met this great challenge to serve families and our neighborhood as we realized the lack of affordable housing and took on the challenage to help make a difference.
Lack of housing for our workforce and families caused many to have to move following the hurricane. Services like police, water, electric, retail and hospitality as well as schools, non-profits and other workplaces are still struggling to maintain strength and service with smaller staffs.
The mission of St. Columba Workforce Housing Corporation is to provide workforce housing in the Florida Keys to workers that lost their housing or have been displaced due to Hurricane Irma.