Housing

SB 2225 appropriates $50 million from North Dakota's Strategic Investment Fund to the Department of Commerce for grants supporting housing infrastructure. The bill provides funding to local communities (with allocations based on population size) to lower costs for infrastructure needed for market-rate housing projects, requiring a 1:1 match from local governments, developers, and private funds. Communities must use the funds for infrastructure like roads or utilities to support new housing, with reporting requirements to the legislature by June 2026. The program expires June 30, 2027, and aims to address housing needs in both urban and rural areas.

SB 2096 provides $5 million for renovating state hospital buildings to serve individuals with mental illness under correctional custody, involuntary commitment, or court-ordered forensic exams. It also appropriates $100 million to establish four regional acute psychiatric treatment and residential supportive housing services across North Dakota. The funds will allow the Department of Health and Human Services to build up to 24-bed facilities in each region or contract with private providers for these services. The bill directly affects individuals requiring acute psychiatric care and supportive housing, with funding allocated for the 2025-2027 biennium.

HB 1496 amends North Dakota law to clarify landlords' responsibilities for maintaining rental properties. It requires landlords to comply with health/safety building codes, make necessary repairs, keep common areas clean, maintain essential systems (like plumbing and heating), and provide running water and reasonable heat (68°F Oct-April, seasonally appropriate May-Sept). The bill allows written agreements between landlords and tenants of single-family homes for tenants to handle specific tasks (like waste removal), but only with good faith and separate written terms. It explicitly states landlords cannot make such agreements a condition for rental obligations. This directly affects landlords and tenants in North Dakota residential rentals.

HB 1152 amends North Dakota's definition of "residential property" for tax purposes. It clarifies that residential property includes dwellings and associated non-commercial structures like garages or barns, but explicitly excludes hotels/motels, multi-family buildings (4+ units), and tracts with 4+ mobile homes. This change directly affects property tax assessors, homeowners, and developers by altering which properties qualify for residential tax treatment. The bill would take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, though it failed to pass in the legislature.

Relating to a housing development loan fund; to provide an appropriation; to provide a continuing appropriation; to provide for a transfer; to provide an expiration date; and to declare an emergency.