Homeless advocates see promise in housing law
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Advocates for unhoused people in North Dakota are hopeful a landmark federal housing bill, which just became law, will help the state address its growing housing crisis.
The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act aims to boost supply while limiting ownership by private equity firms.
Chandler Esslinger, chair of the North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People and executive director for the Fargo-Moorhead Coalition to End Homelessness, said key provisions like streamlining housing voucher inspections and grant expansions to incentivize development will be especially helpful for rural states like North Dakota.
“This is a tool in the toolbox that’s up to our communities to make lemonade out of it,” Esslinger explained. “I think it really does offer some unique opportunities to cut red tape, give communities more tools to meet the needs, and to support the continuum of housing that’s required for a healthy housing ecosystem.”
Esslinger said every county in North Dakota has been affected by evictions and housing experts project a shortage of 15,000 housing units over the next 10 years.
Esslinger stressed the state needs a variety of choices in order for people to have access to housing meeting their needs.
He noted about half of housing units need to be affordable for people with the lowest incomes, a segment of the population growing faster than any other demographic in the state.
Esslinger added while the law is a good first step, there is also a need for investments in behavioral health services, healthcare access and employment to support long-term housing stability for residents.
“We need to have the housing stock available in our communities if we want there to be decreased rates of homelessness,” he said. “That is an important component, but there’s many other things that communities and individuals need in order to be stable. It is a combination of efforts that are required.”
Esslinger praised North Dakota for significantly increasing investment in homeless grants and incentives to help fill gaps to support developers in building low-income housing.
State data show a little more than 4,800 people have received services for homelessness so far this year. About 6,200 people received services in 2025.