Committee hears plan for $50 million HOME grant to lower housing infrastructure costs

Senators and witnesses in the Government Operations Division heard testimony on Senate Bill 2225 on a proposed $50 million Department of Commerce HOME grant program to lower infrastructure costs for new housing.

Supporters told the committee the program would use a combination of state, local and private investment to reduce lot and utility development costs that make new housing unaffordable in many North Dakota communities.

The bill would authorize Commerce to administer a one‑time $50,000,000 HOME grant program and set the department’s role in distributing awards and reporting results. “The commerce department shall establish the guidelines for providing the grants,” said Senator Brad Beckettall, who introduced the bill as a request of Governor Armstrong. The bill also includes an emergency clause intended to move funds quickly into the 2025 construction season if passed with the required vote margin.

Governor Kelly Armstrong, appearing in support, described the proposal as part of a broader housing package. “What people need is we need less programs and more solutions,” Armstrong told the committee. He said the HOME fund would pair state grants with local and private matches so communities decide the housing type they need. “A community decides the type of…