skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

3 shot and 1 stabbed at Phoenix airport in apparent family dispute on Christmas night, officials say; CT Student Loan Reimbursement Program begins Jan. 1; WI farmer unfazed by weather due to conservation practices; Government subsidies make meat cost less, but with hidden expenses.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The authors of Project 2025 say they'll carry out a hard-right agenda, voting rights advocates raise alarm over Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and conservatives aim to cut federal funding for public broadcasting.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

From the unprecedented election season to the latest environmental news, the Yonder Report looks back at stories that topped our weekly 2024 newscasts.

With emerging data, ND housing needs come into focus

play audio
Play

Monday, October 16, 2023   

More than 65% of North Dakotans say housing is the state's biggest overall need. That's according to new community-level survey data.

The findings are from the latest needs assessment issued by Community Action Partnership of North Dakota, which gathered feedback from more than 3,000 residents.

For low-income respondents, rental assistance is the biggest priority. CAP ND's Executive Director Andrea Olson said that's not surprising because it mirrors the calls for assistance at their regional offices.

But she said respondents, regardless of income, agree that housing overall tops all other categories. She said it underscores the scope of the problem and the obstacles families are facing.

"We know that there's North Dakotans who are in need," said Olson. "We know that these are folks who are often gainfully employed and just still can't make the ends meet."

An interim legislative committee is studying housing barriers, and the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reports nearly 40% of renters are spending at least a third of their income on housing.

With these details coming together, and the state's pandemic-related ND Rent Help program due to expire next year, Olson said it would be disappointing to not see a long-term solution.

Beyond housing, access to food has moved up to second on the needs list for low-income North Dakotans. Inflation has cooled, but Olson said it's clear households are finding it difficult to get everything they need.

"A grocery cart that used to cost $150 is now $200," said Olson.

Meanwhile, non-low-income respondents cited mental health services as their top specific need. Provider shortages, especially in rural areas, have been well documented in light of the pandemic.

The needs assessment includes statewide and regional data, with project leaders saying the results can inform all levels of government when responding to these issues.



Disclosure: Community Action Partnership of North Dakota contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Health Issues, Housing/Homelessness, Hunger/Food/Nutrition. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A 2023 report from Michigan Traffic Crash Facts showed 62 snowmobiles were involved in crashes on public roadways, resulting in two fatalities and 41 injuries. (gentho/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Winter conditions across Michigan are fickle and The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging everyone to prioritize safety while enjoying t…


Environment

play sound

A diverse group of Southwest Wisconsin farmers are using federally funded conservation programs to help improve their farms' soil health and resilienc…

Social Issues

play sound

Mainers are encouraged to be on the lookout for increasingly sophisticated scams during the holiday season. Fake emails appearing to be from …


According to the March of Dimes, 15.4% of Wyoming women did not have a birthing hospital within 30 minutes of home last year, compared to a U.S. average of 9.7%. (MANUEL/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Evanston Regional Hospital is discontinuing its labor and delivery services next week, citing a "steady decline of demand." It is the fourth Wyoming …

Environment

play sound

By Leilani Marie Labong for FoodPrint.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the FoodPrint-Public News Service …

Education Data reported there are 507,200 student loan borrowers in Connecticut, with an average debt amount of $36,672. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

Connecticut is launching its Student Loan Reimbursement Program Jan. 1. The program was created through legislation passed by the state's General …

Social Issues

play sound

This week, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 people with federal death row convictions to life sentences without parole. Groups …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new federal rule aims to close a loophole allowing coal companies to walk away from their obligations to pay disability benefits and health insuranc…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021