Spring is almost here — well, at least on the calendar. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day last month, which means six more weeks of winter. In North Dakota, that’s pretty much just a normal early spring for us. I have always found Groundhog Day interesting; they pull Phil out of his slumber when it’s still dark outside, and somehow, he still sees his shadow. Feels a little rigged, but I digress.
Spring is one of my favorite seasons. It’s the season of new beginnings, longer days, things starting to green up again, flowers and trees beginning to bloom, and the chirps of birds we haven’t heard in a few months. And of course, warmer weather. Most importantly, spring means the end of winter, almost like a collective “Yes, we made it.”
Those same new beginnings that come with spring also bring some excitement this season with a powerful new tool now available to all of us. Our new Housing Portal is officially live. Many of you are familiar with the Housing Needs Assessment produced by the North Dakota State University Center for Social Research in conjunction with our agency. This assessment is vital to the work we do, helping us understand North Dakota’s housing needs and plan for the future. As the saying goes, fail to plan, plan to fail.
Over the past year, we have worked closely with NDSU to develop a new interactive, online tool that puts this information directly into the hands of state, county, and local leaders, and really anyone who wants to better understand housing across North Dakota. If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to take a few minutes to explore it; it truly is impressive.
The Housing Portal brings together data from the U.S. Census, the American Community Survey, our 2024 North Dakota Statewide Housing Needs Assessment, and multiple listing service data from across the state. It also includes information on our low-income multifamily housing projects throughout North Dakota. In short, it is a one-stop shop for housing information, from population trends and demographics to affordability and housing composition. This portal will be a game changer, giving leaders and communities the reliable, accessible data they need to make informed housing decisions.
This work would not have been possible without the outstanding team at NDSU’s Center for Social Research, led by Nancy Hodur. We also want to thank the North Dakota Association of REALTORS, CEO Jill Beck, and the local REALTOR associations across the state for their partnership and willingness to share their data. Their support helped make this portal as robust and useful as it is.
As we start this new season of not only spring but also a new season of being able to readily access housing data, we look forward to continuing our mission in new and innovative ways. With better information comes better decisions, and with better decisions come stronger communities across North Dakota. We are excited to see how this new Housing Portal will empower leaders, partners, and communities to plan for the future and meet the housing needs of today and tomorrow. Here’s to new beginnings, new tools, and continued progress together.