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For a short while it looked like the only hurdle Vann Ellison had to overcome was a long-standing Collier County Commission distaste for the homeless and illegal immigrants.

Ellison operates St. Matthew’s House, a rehabilitation center for those with alcohol or drug problems. He also operates a soup kitchen and Wolfe Apartments, which helps transition dependent folks back into the real world.

Tuesday, he asked commissioners to defer payment on impact fees he owes to the county for the apartment complex.

Five years ago, Collier County deferred $178,000 in impact fees during the construction of Wolfe Apartments with the expectation that the money would be repaid.

So far, Ellison has raised about $125,000 to pay off the impact fees but requested another deferral for the balance.

Two weeks ago, commissioners decided they wouldn’t defer impact fees for any charity that helps out illegal immigrants, which, commissioners said, cost taxpayers millions of dollars a year.

Impact fees are sums of money builders pay to upgrade or build new infrastructure needed by the community, such as water, sewer, roads or utilities.

Commissioners on Tuesday continued Ellison’s request for deferred impact fees, telling him to go back to his fundraisers to finance the balance of the $178,000 owed to the county by the center.

Commissioner Frank Halas seemed a bit impatient with Ellison’s request.

“When you (initially) came before the County Commission, I asked what you had in escrow. You said you didn’t have anything. I told you to go and get it,” Halas said. “Now, you’re here to ask us to come up with additional impact fees. I’m concerned that what you’re trying to do is not stand up to what you’re supposed to pay. I think if you went out and solicited, you’d go out and make up the balance to $178,000.”

If Wolfe doesn’t pay its impact fees, the county could place a lien on the property.

Ellison said Wolfe Apartments has operated successfully for the past five years.

“We’re 100 percent full. We’re working to resolve homelessness. Wolfe is an integral part of that,” Ellison said.

But he needs more time to pay the county the impact fees deferred five years ago.

“This is a viable project. The community has raised more than $4 million. HUD has been involved,” Ellison said, referring to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Most of the residents have come out (and) have really seen their lives transformed.”

Wolfe Apartments doesn’t make a profit and is there exclusively to help people rehabilitate their lives, he said.

Noting that Wolfe only needs to raise another $73,000, Commissioner Donna Fiala asked if they could be given a year to make up the difference.

“You can give them a four-year extension,” County Attorney Jeffrey Klatzkow said, an idea that Commissioner Jim Coletta immediately embraced.

Asked if Wolfe tenants are legal residents, because not all homeless are, Ellison said that Wolfe operates under tenant-landlord law, and “requires us to rent out to legal residents or citizens.”

However, last week, Ellison said St. Matthew’s House doesn’t check one’s citizenship or legal residency.

Coletta came to Ellison’s defense.

“I know St. Matthew’s. Their first priority will be helping people, feeding people — not paying impact fees,” Coletta said. “St. Matthew’s House is not the villain here, but the victim.”

The commission tasked county employees to explore the problem and bring back three viable options to the next commission meeting.

The fees aren’t due until mid-June; the next commission meeting is June 10.