Jamestown, ND KCSi -T.V. News Jun 17, 2013) — A housing study, funded by the nine counties and N.D. Housing Finance Agency was released Monday, June 17, 2013, by the South Central Dakota Regional Council offices, in Jamestown.

Counties included in the study were: Barnes, Foster, Dickey, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells.

The Regional Council hired Maxfield Research Inc. from Minneapolis, to conduct the study which has been gathering and analyzing the data for the past seven months.

For Stutsman County the study states that 95 percent of demand for housing will be in Jamestown. Of the projected 1,041 housing units needed, 63.5 percent, or 661, would be for general occupancy, which is split between for-sale properties and rentals.

The number of for-sale units needed over the next 10 years is 293, while the number of rental units is 368. The for-sale units include 211 single-family units and 82 multi-family units.

Of the 368 needed rental units, the study shows 266 should be rented at the market rate and 102 would receive a subsidized or “affordable” rate. Klein said these numbers are in addition to existing housing units.

The rest of the units needed in Stutsman County 380 are senior housing units, which includes housing meant for active adults, adults needing assisted living and units with special care.

Stutsman County Housing Authority executive director, Dave Klein, said the study did not include any possible housing needs for proposed industrial development near Spiritwood, because SCDRC wanted the study’s housing projections to be based on established existing needs.

An intended use of the study is to provide realistic projections for developers.

The study said the other eight counties will have demand for housing units as follows:

* Barnes, 608.

* Dickey, 235.

* Wells, 224.

* Foster; 173.

* LaMoure, 165.

* Griggs, 134.

* McIntosh, 132.

* Logan, 56.

Joseph Neis, SCDRC board president, and is the Edgeley City Auditor and also owns a private business, said The Regional Council Board of Directors commissioned the study to identify what types of housing needs to be added to the more than 50 communities in the nine counties. As employers in the region voice the need to replace retiring workers and to find new employees to expand, housing is always a concern.

He and other leaders in the region are feeling the pressure to address the housing demand.

Neis said that instead of using anecdotal information to make decisions.

The regional council obtained a grant from the N.D. Housing Finance Agency for part of the study and secured the balance of the funding from the county members to hire the consultant. Once hired, they proceed to analysis demographics, employment trends, housing characteristics, rental and for-sale housing market, and make recommendations.

Phase I of the Housing Needs Assessment for the North Dakota Planning Region VI was released in January and a housing summit was held in February in Jamestown.

Phase II of the study is available on the SCDRC website www.scdrc.org <http://www.scdrc.org/> under the Housing Study tab.

 

Previously…

From JSDC Web site:

www.growingjamestown.com

Jamestown, ND  (KCSi -T.V. News Jun 17, 2013) — A housing study, funded by the nine counties and N.D. Housing Finance Agency was released

A Region VI housing study commissioned by South Central Dakota Regional Council (SCDRC) reiterates the need for senior friendly housing options throughout the nine-county region. Eight of the nine counties show a demand for more than 100 senior housing units over the next five years. A demand for roughly 455 single-family homes through the next five years, along with approximately 730 rental housing units has been identified in the nine-county region. These numbers are based on growth numbers that are based on projected growth for existing business but do not include the numbers for projected businesses that have not started yet.
Joseph Neis, SCDRC board president, and is the Edgeley City Auditor and also owns a private business, said The Regional Council Board of Directors commissioned the study to identify what types of housing needs to be added to the more than 50 communities in the nine counties. As employers in the region voice the need to replace retiring workers and to find new employees to expand, housing is always a concern.

He and other leaders in the region are feeling the pressure to address the housing demand.
Neis said that instead of using anecdotal information to make decisions, the Regional Council hired Maxfield Research Inc. from Minneapolis, MN to conduct the study.

The regional council obtained a grant from the N.D. Housing Finance Agency for part of the study and secured the balance of the funding from the county members to hire the consultant. Once hired, they proceeed to analysis demographics, employment trends, housing characteristics, rental and for-sale housing market, and make recommendations.

Maxfield Research Inc. has been gathering and analyzing the data for the past seven months.
The 370-page document will be a tool for community leaders to better understand what needs are in their specific communities and for housing developers to risk the investment to build in the region. The document has in depth data and recommendations for the counties and cities in the region.
Phase I of the Housing Needs Assessment for the North Dakota Planning Region VI was released in January and a housing summit was held in February in Jamestown.

Phase II of the study will be available on the SCDRC website

www.scdrc.org under the Housing Study tab starting June 18, 2013.