The silent failure of a housing solution
In this episode of The Backstory, journalist Michael Standaert joins Sabrina Halvorson to discuss the ongoing housing shortage in rural North Dakota. They explore the root causes, including infrastructure challenges, floodplain restrictions, and developer disinterest.
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Standaert highlights Senate Bill 2225, a widely supported $50 million proposal that aimed to expand infrastructure and kickstart housing development but failed quietly at the end of the legislative session.
"Everybody always hears: we have a housing crisis... Someone comes up with a plan, and then it fails — and there's no discussion about it." - Michael Standaert, NDNC Reporter
The conversation examines why this failure received little public attention and how a similar proposal might return in the future.
Key Discussion Points:
- The rural Grand Forks region faces a shortfall of approximately 4,800 homes, excluding the city itself
- Floodplain restrictions and valuable farmland limit geographic expansion in small towns
- Developers are reluctant to invest in rural areas, preferring high-profit urban projects
- Senate Bill 2225 proposed infrastructure funding for housing development, but failed despite broad support and no opposition testimony
- The bill's failure occurred in the final hours of the session (around 2:10 a.m.)
About The Backstory
The Backstory offers a look into the reporting process behind top stories from the North Dakota News Cooperative, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to serving communities across the state.
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