LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (AP) - Lehigh Acres in Florida knows the housing crisis first hand. And it's in the spotlight with Florida's
Republican presidential primary looming next week.

It used to be a sleepy, rural area in southwest Florida that boomed high and hard between 2003 and 2007.

The population doubled to about 65,000, mostly from blue-collar workers who were living large off the success of the area's new
housing. The fall came just as fast. By 2008, Lehigh Acres and the entire Fort Myers area had the nation's highest foreclosure rate.

One in every 96 homes is currently in foreclosure.

Frustration over the housing crisis and Washington's apparent inability to help has turned into apathy and, at times, anger.

Republican Mitt Romney visited this week and promised to encourage banks to work with homeowners.


(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)