workforce housing

An apartment building under construction on June 13, 2023, in eastern Rapid City. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)

Tribes still face uphill slog for housing infrastructure funding after passage of rules

BY: - June 13, 2023

South Dakota’s tribes may lose out on a quarter of a $200 million pool of workforce housing infrastructure money before lawmakers can pass a bill giving them access to the funds. The Legislature’s Rules Review Committee voted 5-1 Tuesday to give final approval to the rules for the program. But a wrinkle in the law […]

Houses under construction. (Getty Images)

Housing cash one step closer for South Dakota builders

BY: - May 31, 2023

The rules for a $200 million infrastructure funding program are headed to lawmakers for a final sign-off. The board of the South Dakota Housing Development Authority voted unanimously to approve its rules for the program on Wednesday after about an hour of public comments from local economic development offices, attorneys, home builders and others. Commenters […]

Houses in a new development on Oct. 28, 2022, in Harrisburg. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

For-profit businesses in, tribes out in housing infrastructure rules update

BY: - May 30, 2023

For-profit entities might have a shot at some of the $200 million in housing infrastructure funding, the Housing Development Authority’s board members learned on Tuesday. Tribal entities, however, likely won’t be eligible unless the Legislature rewrites the law next year. Those two changes to the proposed rules of the long-delayed workforce housing incentive program came […]

Houses under construction. (Getty Images)

$200 million in housing infrastructure funding likely to lie dormant for a second year

BY: - April 20, 2023

A $200 million pool of housing infrastructure funding will likely go unspent for another construction season, despite efforts by lawmakers to push the money out in 2023. The interim director of the South Dakota Housing Development Authority broke that news to the Legislature’s Executive Board Thursday during its first meeting since the end of the […]

Houses in a new development on Oct. 28, 2022, in Harrisburg. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Infrastructure bill resists attempts to quash it in House of Representatives

BY: - January 23, 2023

PIERRE – The House of Representatives sent a $200 million infrastructure bill to Gov. Kristi Noem’s desk on Monday with a hard-won 54-16 vote. Senate Bill 41 is a fix to 2022 bill that sought to send infrastructure funds to developers to help fill gaps in workforce housing. The agency deemed responsible for dispersing the […]

Deadwood, SD. (Courtesy of Travel South Dakota)

Housing for small towns, reservation school teachers hit by infrastructure hold-up

BY: - January 18, 2023

Teachers in Pine Ridge, workers in Deadwood and students in Madison were among those waiting longer for a place to stay because of a hold-up in workforce housing money last year. “Our members are waiting for these funds,” Denise Hanzlik of the South Dakota Multi-Housing Association told lawmakers. “We’ve lost one construction season already.” The […]

Houses in a new development on Oct. 28, 2022, in Harrisburg. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Housing money fix could clear Senate in week one

BY: - January 10, 2023

State lawmakers aim to quickly pass a bill to clear a thicket of confusion over how to get $200 million in housing infrastructure money out of state coffers and into the hands of developers. The money, initially appropriated last session, was meant to help address a 10,000-home shortage in workforce housing. But concerns over the […]

Houses under construction on Oct. 28, 2022 in Harrisburg, SD.

$200 million for housing infrastructure in holding pattern

BY: - October 30, 2022

South Dakota developers hoping to access $200 million in infrastructure funding to fill a 10,000-home gap in workforce housing will have another winter to wait. The reason? Lawmakers passed a bill last winter intended to encourage new housing with no income restrictions, but voted to deposit the lion’s share of the money into a fund […]