CLEWISTON, Florida – Clewiston is planning two new housing projects that will increase the city’s housing supply by about 20%.

As FOX 4’s community correspondent for Hendry County, I work in this area daily, so I was able to speak with the mayor of Clewiston about what this means for a city facing an ongoing housing shortage.

Check out my report here…

SHORTAGE ASSISTANCE: Clewiston creates 20% more housing with two major construction projects

“A lot of people want to get out of the big cities – the hustle and bustle and the traffic – and Clewiston is just a great place to raise a family,” said Clewiston Mayor James Pittman.

As more people want to move to Clewiston, the need for housing is high. To meet this need, two new residential neighborhoods are being built on two lots north and south of US27 in eastern Clewiston.

Austin Shargorodski

Pittman said it would add 500 to 600 apartments – about 20 percent of the 2,800 existing apartments. He said it was much-needed relief.

“The housing situation here is characterized by high prices for mid-range housing,” said Pittman.

In April, I told you that Clewiston real estate prices have increased 14% in the last year alone. Due to demand, Pittman said, U.S. Sugar has rezoned the land for residential development to address the housing problem.

Austin Shargorodski

Pittman also believes this could help solve the teacher shortage, which is exacerbated by high housing costs.

“For many years we have had great difficulty placing new teachers in the area. Every year we have a teacher shortage. It may be that 30 to 60 teachers need to be hired for the school year. One of the biggest problems in bringing them here is housing and rent,” Pittman explained.

The housing shortage is so severe that I reported in May that Hendry County Schools plans to build their own housing for teachers.

Pittman said development to the south will focus on affordable homes, apartments and condos, while the north will be upscale, with waterfront homes, a hotel and a marina – both including commercial space along U.S. 27.

“It will definitely be a win-win situation – for the school board, for the city and for the economy,” Pittman said.

Pittman expects construction to begin next year and take about five years, but the phased construction will allow families to move in sooner.