The Housing Situation In Williston, North Dakota...Is It As Bad As You Hear?

Okay so in every day life as well as through the blog I talk to a lot of people who are thinking about making the trip to North Dakota in search of better employment opportunities and higher wages. Who woudln't consider making the move right?

Most people I talk to plan on going to Williston because it's the town they have heard of, as well as because it does have a lot of opportunities and is one of the larger cities. It's also at the center of teh Bakken oil fields.

One issue that many people fail to understand is what the housing situation is really like here. To make it simple Ill put it like this for you. There is basically no available housing in Williston North Dakota.

The city is growing fast but the construction of new homes and apartments as well as the general infrastructure of the city just cannot keep up with the demand with thousands and thousands and thousands of new residents pouring in all the time.

One other factor contributing to the already problematic housing situation is that big companies such as oil companies, drilling companies and others have bought out all the hotels, motels, trailers, and other cheap housing for their employees.

Upon arriving in Williston many newcommers are left wondering where they are going to live. Finding work these days still tends to be the easy part, it's finding the housing that is proving to be difficult for many.

For those lucky enough to find housing the rent is normally extremely high. One article in a newspaper I read recently talking about the oil boom and housing situation in North Dakota talks about unfurnished one bedrooms going for $2100 a month and 2-3 bedroom apartments unfurnished with not even that much square footage going for upwards of $3,000.

This is pretty typical of the prices in both Williston and surrounding communities. Landlords have and continue to raise rents because they know oil rig workers make big money and are willing to pay big money for a place to live and to not live in their cars, trucks, or campout.

So what do people do for housing or where do people live if this is the situation...is a question you may be asking yourself right?

Many people bring RV trailers or campers with them when heading to North Dakota. This is an okay idea however there's a few holes in this plan.

One is that there is now a ban on camping or living on public streets and public property. Police and local government have really been cracking down on people parking in parking lots, on the side of the road or in parks or other public places. One solution to this is finding a place to camp so to speak however if you don't know anyone in the area this will cost you and just like real estate lots in campgrounds and rv parks the prices have skyrocketed as well.

Some people may try to sleep in their vehicles. I did this for a while when I first came into town and actually my roomate from back home is in Minot at the moment doing that at this very moment. I have to warn you, though some people may try it it's STUPID, campiging or sleeping in your car is NOT an option in the winter in North Dakota. You coudl and most likely will freeze to death. Another problem is that local police are really cracking down on people sleeping in their vehicles. Lastly and most importantly, safety is an issue. You may think North Dakota is a simpler place that is safer and harkens back to a simpler time but the oil boom has brought more problems to the area and there is crime.

Homeless shelters are an option many newcommers choose. I personally don't agree with this though. Homeless shelters should be used by local area residents who actually need their services, not by people comming into town seeking work. Thats just my opinion though.

The best advice I can give you is do your due diligence, do research and plan ahead. Don't plan on finding a cheap place to stay because the fact of the matter is there isn't and you won't.

1 comment:

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