JAMESTOWN — Increasing the amount of available housing in the area isn’t about lumber and cement but investment, according to David Klein, executive director of the Great Plains Housing Authority located in Jamestown.
“It takes a lot to bring investors into these communities,” he said. “It takes getting the community ready.”
The Great Plains Housing Authority covers a seven-county area in south-central North Dakota. Much of the area would be considered within commuting distance of Jamestown.
The population of Stutsman County was 21,392 as of the 2020 census by the U.S. Census Bureau. If you combine the four adjacent counties, LaMoure, Barnes, Foster and Kidder, the population rises to nearly 42,000 people.
While the population of the region has declined over the past 20 years, the number of households has increased due to smaller family sizes, according to Census Bureau data.
That has resulted in a housing shortage in Jamestown and in many other communities in the area, Klein said.
“Jamestown has a 2% to 3% vacancy rate,” he said, referring to the percentage of unoccupied housing units at any time. “A healthy vacancy rate would be about 7%.”
To meet those needs, Klein said the community should be adding more than 50 housing units per year.
“We need a couple hundred in a push to catch up,” Klein said. “Then between 50 and 60 units each year to keep up.
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The last apartment building constructed in Jamestown was Eagle Flats, which was permitted in 2022 and includes 33 units, according to Tom Blackmore, Jamestown building inspector.
A total of 14 new single-family homes in Jamestown have been permitted from 2022 through 2024. That amounts to an addition of 47 housing units in Jamestown in the past three construction seasons.
Available housing is a necessary component of job growth that is the goal of economic development, Klein said.
The number of people employed in Stutsman County varies with the season and economic conditions.
According to statistics included in the Stutsman County Area Profile, published by Job Service North Dakota, the number of employees in the county stood at 11,083 at the end September 2024. That compares to 10,300 people in January 2021, which was a low point for jobs in Stutsman County.
Housing needs run the gamut in the Jamestown area, Klein said.
There is a need for affordable housing, defined as property that can be rented or purchased for no more than 30% of the person's income. There is also a need for higher-end housing for any professionals moving to the community and senior housing for an aging population, Klein said.
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Senior housing is especially important in Stutsman County where the percentage of people 65 years and older is 21% compared to 17% for the rest of North Dakota, according to JobService statistics.
And the housing needs to be modern and desirable.
“If Jamestown is going to grow,” Klein said, “you need to offer what people want in housing.”
The North Dakota Legislature at this writing is currently considering a bill designed to improve the housing situation in the state.
Senate Bill 2225 provides $50 million to provide grants for infrastructure projects in order to reduce the price of buildable lots in North Dakota, according to Corry Shevlin, CEO of the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp.
The bill requires dollar-for-dollar matches to the state grant money from the local community and the developer.
Shevlin said the JSDC has already earmarked up to $1 million to be used as the local community match contingent on passage of the bill. With the state money and an investment by a developer, this could result in buildable lots where two-thirds of the infrastructure costs are paid by the local and state government. It is assumed the one-third paid by the developer would be passed on to the buyer of any homes built on these lots.
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“It depends a lot on the scope of the project and other details,” Shevlin said, “but this should make 40 to 60 lots available at a reduced cost.”
The bill has an emergency clause and if passed, Shevlin hopes Jamestown will be able to take advantage of the grant program yet this construction season.
“It will be a big help in getting lots down to a reasonable price,” he said. “Right now, we figure infrastructure costs of lots at between $80,000 and $100,000 each.”
Depending on the project, single-family or multi-unit housing could be included in the area.
The ultimate goal for the community is to have suitable living space for new residents attracted to the community, Shevlin said.
“We are still attracting attention from employers,” Klein said. “We are still attracting interest from workers.”
“If Jamestown is going to grow, you need to offer what people want in housing.
Along with long-term residents, demand for housing can fluctuate with the number of construction projects in the area.
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“A big project can virtually wipe out available housing,” Klein said.
An example of a big project that would require a large number of construction workers is the planned new North Dakota State Hospital building, which was included in Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s budget but at this writing has not passed the Legislature.
In the past, projects such as the new Anne Carlsen Center facility constructed near the Jamestown Regional Medical Center have utilized workers commuting from other cities where there are more housing options.
This reduced the impact of those employees on the Jamestown economy.
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