HUDlogoWASHINGTON, D.C. (CSi) – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp pressed the top U.S. official housing official to look at the new Fair Market Rents in North Dakota – which help low-income households reduce the share of their income that goes to rent – as she is concerned they do not reflect the real cost of housing in the state, which has soared.

Heitkamp voiced her concerns to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Julián Castro about the accuracy of HUD’s newly proposed Fair Market Rents for 2015 for some North Dakota counties, Heitkamp has heard from many local public housing agencies that have expressed to her that HUD’s new Fair Market Rents are not reflective of the real housing prices on the ground. Noting North Dakota’s population boom of 7.6 percent since 2010, Heitkamp explained the strain that the influx of new residents has had on local housing markets—including the fact that vacancy rates are less than one percent in some affected areas, and that some average rental rates in Williston and Dickinson top the charts as the most expensive in the nation.

“With recent estimates expecting a population growth of 25 percent over the next 15 years, North Dakota is experiencing a massive population boom,” Heitkamp said.  “The energy boom has benefited our state greatly, but we are feeling a serious crunch as housing rates continue to soar because of the rapid influx of people to North Dakota. That’s why I’m pushing on HUD to make sure there is affordable housing throughout North Dakota so families can afford to put roofs over their heads and to have a more open dialogue with our folks on the ground, because a one-size-fits all method that might be reasonable for the rest of the country, simply isn’t appropriate in North Dakota during as we face a housing crisis.”

Last year, Heitkamp worked with HUD to see that FMRs were increased to appropriate levels for areas of North Dakota where rents have quickly soared and families need assistance to afford housing. As a result of her efforts, new FMRs were set for Ward, Mountrail, and Williams counties.

Click here to read Heitkamp’s letter to Secretary Castro. In June, Heitkamp met with Castro to discuss North Dakota’s housing needs and invited him to visit the state to see the challenges firsthand.

Heitkamp has long been working to address North Dakota’s housing crisis and make more affordable housing available to families. She has also worked to raise awareness about North Dakota’s unique housing needs.  In March 2013, Heitkamp held meetings across North Dakota with local, state, and federal officials to hear about their housing situations and discuss ideas to address the unique housing issues across the state. She also held housing summits in Mandan and Fargo last year to bring about a larger discussion about housing issues in the state.