Red River Regional Council and Red River CHDO to hold build sessions for rural housing study
Apr. 8—GRAND FORKS — The Red River Regional Council and the Red River Community Housing Development Organization will be hosting three half-day housing build sessions as part of the next step of their rural housing study.
These sessions, a press release said, are meant to invite regional leaders, elected officials, builders, lenders, policymakers and others to identify solutions and bring new ideas to the state of housing in Region Four, which encompasses Grand Forks, Pembina, Walsh and Nelson counties.
"Our work is completely focused on action," said Lisa Rotvold, executive director of the Red River CHDO, in the release. "We have found that the housing market in our small towns is dysfunctional. This study will document needs and identify solutions. It will become a tool to tell our stories, and advocate for the resources needed to turn the tide."
Each session will be from 12 to 4:30 p.m., including lunch. The sessions will take place April 9 at Minnkota Power, 5301 32nd Ave. S., in Grand Forks; April 10 at Minto Community Center in Minto; and April 11 at the Icelandic State Park Visitors Center near Cavalier.
The sessions will begin with project consultant Fourth Economy reviewing what work has already been done and the preliminary findings of the rural housing study, followed by breakout groups so attendees can speak about the topics they are passionate about. Those ideas will then be used to "develop an impactful, actionable implementation plan to change the trajectory of developing rural communities in the region," the release said.
The rural housing study also included data analysis and a needs assessment. Community focus groups were held over the past month, the release said, to learn about challenges within local communities to new residential housing development.
The needs assessment had four key takeaways, the release said. The first is that the lack of housing has left employers struggling to attract and retain employees, especially in schools, hospitals, farming and manufacturing companies.
The second issue is that there is a lack of housing developers in the region, and external developers tend not to build in the region due to high material and labor costs.
The third is the lack of available lots for new development. The region's floodplain is restricted from residential development, taking away more space that could be used. Lots that do exist may be undeveloped or vacant, but are owned by families holding onto them for future generations or out-of-town investors.
The fourth issue is the limited amount of housing for sale. While there are many people seeking housing units, most units are sold through word-of-mouth exchanges or one to three days after being posted online, the release said.
"Housing is critical to a healthy economy," the release said. "A shortage of housing stock is limiting economic growth and causing regional job and population loss in many of the region's rural areas."
People can RSVP for the building sessions by calling 701-352-3550 or going to
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