North Dakota: Too Many Jobs, Not Enough Housing

An economic boom is taking place in oil-rich western North Dakota. People seeking employment have traveled to North Dakota from all over the U.S. Some bring their families while others come alone or with friends to take advantage of job opportunities.

The influx of so many people in a relatively short period of time has resulted in a serious housing shortage. Many companies are turning to prefabricated homes to help North Dakota provide housing to their workforce. Modular homes can be built as a permanent or temporary housing solution depending on the need.

The housing shortage doesn’t just affect potential employees; it is also a challenge for the employers trying to hire those employees. About 20,000 jobs are still waiting to be filled and every single one of them will need a place to live.

Fortunately, modular housing provides a practical solution to the housing shortage. Modular homes are designed to withstand the harsh climate in North Dakota and offer the same interior and exterior design options seen in traditional stick-built homes. These prefabricated homes offer the same amenities for comfortable living that you would find in traditional construction.

Modular construction is an efficient housing solution to meet the needs of ND’s rapidly expanding workforce. With the reduced construction time, modular homes can be constructed and set quickly enough to help solve the housing issue in ND. Residents should remember that the construction of modular housing is 40% faster than traditional construction.

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The Bakken Workforce and Modular Housing

The Bakken Workforce and Modular Housing

The Bakken formation in North Dakota has led to a boom in jobs and people moving into the area. Oil field workers in western North Dakota and eastern Montana need places to live and the fastest solution to their needs is modular housing.

Housing Shortage

With its unprecedented growth, families and individuals are flocking to the region for job opportunities. Because of this influx, existing housing has not been able to meet the demand. Many workers are forced to stay in hotels, tents and campers. Some are even commuting hours a day. It is projected that this growth will continue as oil and gas production remains strong and vibrant.

A Solution

The addition of modular residences in the Bakken offers workers a comfortable, light and durable home solution. Often, modular homes come fully furnished and ready to move in. Single family homes as well as work force housing are part of the solution offered by modular home construction.

Modular construction offers superior building methods, where climate has no effect on the building process. Constructed in climate-controlled factories, delays due to weather are no longer a problem. This is the most reliable solution for the often harsh North Dakota winters. With the quick response of construction, projects such as Bakken housing prove effective. Other regions with rapid population growth due to oil drilling are also able to find effective solutions in modular housing.

Bakken Housing

Residential developments are currently underway and single family homes of modular design can be found in Alexander, Williston and Watford City, North Dakota. Brand new studio, one and two bedroom homes are available with full sized kitchens and fully furnished for convenience. Built with sturdy construction, these homes can withstand the strongest weather conditions. Modular duplex homes with two bedrooms have also been built to address the Bakken shortage of homes. Properties are well maintained and homes include cable with premium channels and internet.

Bakken homes are ready to meet the needs of Bakken workers and their families. Modular housing offers a high quality and comfortable solution to work force housing.

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Replacing ND Man Camps with Modular Structures

The Bakken oil boom has been a terrific boost to North Dakota's economy, but it has been a mixed blessing as Williams County regulators struggle with the burgeoning man camps that have sprung up to house oil workers. These temporary housing structures are of varying quality prompting county officials to find safer and more efficient living quarters that will continue to be useful once the population stabilizes.

Modular structures offer an excellent alternative to temporary man camps. They can be quickly moved into place as the need for workforce housing increases and relocated if needs change. Construction time is greatly minimized since site work and building construction occurs simultaneously. The modular units can function as stand-alone facilities or they can be combined and configured into large complexes or residential communities.

One of the best features of modular housing units and modular buildings is that they are flexible. They can be quickly disassembled and relocated as needs arise. This flexibility is perfect for county regulators in North Dakota because they can designate different locations for temporary housing to accommodate infrastructure and zoning needs, and the structures can be easily moved to the new location with little disruption to the environment or the workforce.

With the sudden and large influx of temporary workers, other infrastructure is essential, such as healthcare facilities for the workforce. Healthcare construction is often time consuming and costly. Modular medical buildings are gaining traction in North Dakota as quick and efficient solutions to this problem.

Structures can be custom designed or standard and may be used as an urgent care clinic or a modular hospital. Healthcare is the fastest growing segment of the modular construction market and manufacturers continue to design custom options to meet the needs of healthcare providers. The quality of these modular healthcare buildings is equal to that of traditional facilities and these units can serve as permanent structures as well.

Modular building manufacturers have made great strides in the past decades and today's modular housing units are aesthetically pleasing and integrate easily into traditional housing developments. As an added benefit, modular construction is intrinsically more environmentally friendly due to less waste in the building process and the reusable nature of the components. The benefits of modular buildings and modular housing structures offer a viable and efficient alternative to North Dakota temporary man camps.

Workforce Housing for the Bakken Region

The oil industry is booming in the United States and with that comes more employment opportunities. The Bakken region in particular stands out for its fast oil industry growth, leading to an increase in the workforce population. With the additional workforce in the area, there comes a greater need for Bakken housing.

There are numerous benefits to choosing modular homes for workforce housing in the Bakken region. With the increase of workers, families and businesses to the area, there is a shortage of appropriate housing. With modular construction, homes can often be built more efficiently and faster to satisfy the housing demand. Modular homes are built off-site in a large factory environment. This helps to minimize delays in the homes construction such as poor weather conditions.

Another benefit of modular construction is how well homes are built. Modular construction is held to the same building codes and standards that traditional construction is. Often times, modular construction goes beyond the codes and standards in order to ensure the highest quality method of construction.

The mobility of modular constructed homes is another benefit for the Bakken region. Because of the nature of modular construction, homes can be built to be relocatable so that they can be transported from one work site to another as needed.

When there is a population boom and need for housing, such as in Bakken ND, modular construction is the right choice.