North Dakota’s Housing Finance Agency has received a $5.1 million grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Member Impact Fund.
The amount includes a $1.28 million match from the Bank Of North Dakota.
The money will be used to help insure affordable housing is available for low-to-moderate wage workers, the state’s aging population, individuals with disabilities and for the at-risk homeless.
State HFA director Dave Flohr said part of the money will be used for what’s called the “opening doors” program.
"It's to try and help assist landlords who would like to rent to someone who is hard to house, such as 'justice-involved' people, or people who have had a previous eviction," Flohr said. "It gives the landlord comfort in renting to those folks. If there are damages when they move out, we're guaranteeing that can be taken care of, if it exceeds what the deposit is."
Some of the grant will go towards the “Rehab Accessibility” program, to make people’s homes more accessible to them, as well as the “Helping Hand” program.
"That helps people hopefully stay in their homes," Flohr said. "Think people aged 62 or more, who are lower-income individuals who need work done on their houses, but can't afford it, can't get a home equity loan, or that sort of thing."
Flohr said finding affordable housing continues to be a challenge.