Williston Affordable Housing | Video

Chris Williams | 8/20/2012

Congressmen Rick Berg was in Williston today to discuss the city`s biggest challenges. And the major topic was affordable housing.

"The number one challenge we have is getting affordable housing in Williston, and I think you do that by increasing the supply," he said.

Berg says once the housing supply is increased, Williston will start to see changes.

"Then I think you`ll see prices flatten out, or maybe even come down. As more people come to Williston, you`re going to see more retailers attracted to the city as well."

His opponent in the upcoming election, Hedi Heitkamp, says residential housing is too costly, and changes need to be made to encourage contractors to build affordable housing.

"In order to make sure that this works, we need to make some effort at providing low interest loans. Obviously lending is already very low, but we need to take a look at what kind of incentives we can build into this system."

Incentives would be used to help build affordable housing.

"That housing goes in face to firefighters to lower income workers," added Heitkamp.

Both U.S. Senate candidates say the federal government will need to make some concessions to create affordable housing in oil country.

"The clear one that come out here in this meeting was financing. The requirements that are coming out of the federal government on financing make it very difficult for someone to buy a home," added Berg.

"We need to take a look at what the needs are of the region, and where unreasonable and un-rational federal regulations are preventing the growth," said Heitkamp.

Heitkamp and Berg say if we get the right regulations affordable housing can happen quickly in oil country.

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