By the end of September, the NDHFA team and I will have traveled approximately 7,000 miles across North Dakota over a two-month period. To put that into perspective, that is roughly the equivalent of driving from Bismarck to Key West three times — although none of our trips will include palm trees or an ocean view. That represents a lot of windshield time, several early mornings, and, along the way, more than a few giant animals, metal sculptures, and other uniquely North Dakota roadside landmarks. More importantly, each mile gives us an opportunity to listen, learn, and strengthen relationships with the people working to address housing needs across our state.
My travels began in August with two trips to Medora. A side benefit of making the trip twice was getting a chance to see the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. If you haven’t been out there yet, it is impressive and definitely worth a visit. The first was an opportunity to meet with the North Dakota Association of Builders board of directors and discuss the challenges builders are facing, along with what will be needed to increase housing development across the state. I returned to Medora the following week to speak with Gate City Bank’s board and leadership about North Dakota’s housing needs and the important role financial institutions play in helping communities grow.
At the end of August, I traveled to Larimore for a stud-signing ceremony celebrating a new home supported through NDHFA’s Housing Incentive Fund Single-Family Program. Meetings and conferences are an important part of our work, but it is especially meaningful to see a project taking shape and to be reminded that our programs ultimately result in homes for North Dakota families.
The travel continues throughout September as our team hosts community housing needs forums in Mandan, Minot, Fargo, and Dickinson. These forums bring together local officials, lenders, builders, developers, real estate agents, housing providers, and other community partners to talk about the housing challenges and opportunities within their regions. There is still time to catch the forums in Fargo and Dickinson.
North Dakota does not have one housing market, and the needs of each community are different. A growing urban area may be struggling to keep pace with population and workforce growth, while a smaller community may be working to replace aging homes or find a way to make new construction financially possible. Reports and data help us understand the larger trends, but they do not always tell the full story. That is why it is important for us to be in communities, asking questions and hearing directly from the people doing the work.
We will also participate in the ND/SD REALTOR® Convention in Fargo and the North Dakota League of Cities Annual Conference in Grand Forks during September. REALTORS® and city leaders view housing from different perspectives, but both are essential to the conversation. REALTORS® see firsthand what buyers and sellers are experiencing, while city leaders understand how housing affects workforce recruitment, infrastructure, economic development, and the long-term future of their communities.
By the time September comes to an end, we will have many more miles behind us. But the value of those miles will not be measured by the odometer. It will be measured by the conversations we have had, the partnerships we have strengthened, and the better understanding we have gained of what communities across North Dakota need. Because at the end of the day, the reason we put in the miles is simple: better housing opportunities create stronger communities, and stronger communities create a stronger North Dakota.