Jennifer Henderson, director of planning and housing development for the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
(North Dakota Monitor) – People experiencing homelessness in North Dakota are increasing as the state’s population continues to grow and affordable housing, shelters and resources struggle to keep up with demand.
During the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers funded a study as part of the Industrial Commission budget to look at possible solutions to the issue and held their first hearing on the matter last Thursday during a meeting of the interim Human Services Committee.
Jena Gullo, executive director for the Missouri Slope Areawide United Way in Bismarck, which operates an overnight shelter, said the organization served 531 homeless people last year, a 78% increase compared to data collected in 2020. She added the facility has 42 beds, but typically shelters about 100 people each night with a majority coming from outside of Bismarck-Mandan because of a lack of homeless shelters in the region.
“With the population increasing and the needs increasing, we’re seeing a dramatic increase,” Gullo said. About 32% of those seeking shelter are Native American, she said, an overrepresentation of that demographic group which makes up about 5% of the population in North Dakota.
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