Williams County commissioners approve concept for builder-buyer housing incentive program

The Williams County Board of County Commissioners on April 1 approved the concept of a county-level builder-buyer housing incentive program and directed staff to develop final program details, including a potential property tax exemption and a financial assistance package funded from crew-housing dollars.

County staff presented the draft concept as a two-track incentive: a property-tax exemption (by county resolution) on the structure portion of new single-family residential construction and a financial assistance program administered like existing county grant programs. The board voted to proceed with developing the program concept and details.

Lindsey (county staff) told commissioners the proposal is intended to increase single-family housing inventory in Williams County to attract and retain workers such as nurses, teachers and service employees. “Overall, again, the goal would be to increase the inventory of single family housing, from both a buyer and a builder perspective,” Lindsey said.

Key elements outlined in staff materials included a property-tax exemption of up to $150,000 true-and-full value available to either builders or buyers (or both) of new construction, applied to the structure portion of the assessment for a recommended initial period; staff noted the exemption is available to counties and cities under the North Dakota Century Code. Financial assistance proposed using crew-housing funds would include up to $5,000 per home for utility hookups (water/sewer/electric), up to $25,000 per newly constructed residence for last-mile infrastructure (sidewalks, curb and gutter, line connections) and up to $15,000 per buyer for closing-cost assistance or mortgage interest-rate buy-downs. Staff proposed income or sales-price limits to target assistance; the draft suggested a sales-price cap at the FHA mortgage limit plus 10 percent (staff noted that figure currently approximates $576,000).

Commissioners discussed program design and risks. Some members said the program would likely need to be tweaked after launch to avoid unintended effects—such as builders capturing incentives without lowering prices for buyers—while others said any tool to expand inventory is worth trying. Staff said modular and factory-built homes could qualify depending on foundation/completion dates and that homes in the county’s extraterritorial jurisdiction would fall under county administration for the exemption.

The board approved the concept and requested staff (including the county attorney) prepare the resolution and program applications. Staff said it would work with county departments and local partners to finalize eligibility rules, application procedures and monitoring provisions; commissioners discussed the possibility of limiting program duration or setting a review timeline.

Funding: staff proposed using up to $1,300,000 from existing crew-housing funds to seed the financial-assistance portion; no new county tax levy or bond was authorized at the April 1 meeting. Commissioners took a concept-level vote to proceed; staff will return with formal program documents and any required resolutions for subsequent approval.