releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=56376e76-8882-4112-88a4-784a84d6b4fa
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=56376e76-8882-4112-88a4-784a84d6b4fa | Heitkamp Hosts Housing Summit with Fargo Community Leaders | 2013-08-16 | 2013 | 2013-08 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | FARGO, N.D. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today hosted a housing summit with Fargo community leaders to talk about the housing issues in North Dakota and seek solutions to address them. Heitkamp also discussed bipartisan legislation she helped introduce in the Senate to help reform the nation’s housing finance system, which would support affordable homeownership in North Dakota while protecting American taxpayers. The housing summit follows a series of discussions Heitkamp held throughout North Dakota in March to address the state’s housing crisis -- one of her top priorities. As a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Development, Heitkamp is in a unique position to fight for more quality, affordable housing options. “North Dakota families shouldn’t have to choose between putting a roof over their head or feeding their kids. But as the lack of reasonably priced housing options has dwindled, too many families have been forced to make that kind of terrible decision,” said Heitkamp. “Today, I brought together area leaders to talk about how we can address this challenge head on. Last March, I held housing discussions across the state and took North Dakotans’ thoughts and ideas back to Washington. I plan to do the same after today’s summit and will keep fighting for a solution. “In order to fully address this housing crisis, we also need to fix our broken housing finance system – which is why I helped write bipartisan legislation to do just that. In order to build a strong housing finance system nationally, we need one that works for everyone -- including rural communities. That’s what this bill would accomplish.” The housing summit brought together representatives from local housing authorities, community organizations, city offices, real estate agencies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, among others. They joined for a variety of panel discussions, including overviews of the housing issues North Dakota faces; issue updates on affordability, infrastructure, and financing; and a comprehensive look at what actions need to be taken moving forward. Heitkamp hosted another housing summit in Mandan on August 15. North Dakota faces a housing crisis because of the state’s economic boom. It’s estimated that by 2025, North Dakota will need 30 percent more housing units. Background: Heitkamp’s Efforts to Improve North Dakota’s Housing Reforming the Country’s Housing Finance System. In June, Heitkamp helped introduce strong, comprehensive legislation to reform America’s broken housing finance system. With a bipartisan group of Senators, Heitkamp crafted a bill to protect taxpayers from future economic downturns while responsibly preserving the availability of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for homebuyers. She specifically drafted provisions in the bill to make sure rural communities, like many in North Dakota, receive the resources they deserve, and guarantee that community banks and credit unions have access to the secondary housing market so they can compete and provide long-term mortgages to homebuyers. Fighting for More Affordable, Quality Housing Throughout North Dakota. Heitkamp worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to see that new Fair Market Rents – to help reduce housing costs for low-income households – were increased to appropriate levels for oil-impacted areas of North Dakota where rents have quickly soared and families need assistance to afford housing. Heitkamp is continuing to have HUD look into this issue so that more North Dakota families could benefit from increased assistance in high-cost areas. Raising Awareness About North Dakota’s Unique Housing Needs. In March, Heitkamp held meetings in Bismarck, Minot, Williston, Valley City, Dickinson, and Fargo with state, local, and federal officials to hear about their housing situations and discuss ideas to address the unique housing issues across the state. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |