Is Williston Over-Building? | Video

Evan Kruegel | 2/4/2013

Over 2,300 new housing units are projected to be built in Williston this year, and over 5,000 could be built before the end of 2014. The units are badly needed now, but the population boom isn’t going to last forever. And the last thing city officials want when the city does begin to stabilize, are hundreds of empty houses.

"Over-building is always something that’s on your mind. You want to make sure that you don’t overbuild one inventory over the other,” said Economic Development Assistant Director Shawn Wenko.

Wenko says there’s a thin line between not building enough, and building too much. It’s difficult to tell years in advance just how the housing demand will change as the city stabilizes, but Wenko says there are a few ways to estimate the need.

"You can gauge it through a lot of different factors. Obviously look at the amount of crew camp permitted capacity that’s out there. As we start to see the spu`s or special permitted uses go away and see residents start to transition into the community, that will be a good indicator. As well as what you’re seeing with occupancy rates in your hotels."

Most man camps in the area will be shut down before the end of 2014, forcing thousands of additional workers into the search for available housing. If man camp and hotel occupancies stay high through that time, the demand for housing will likely increase.
"When we start to see those drop a little bit, that will be a good indicator of where we’re at with the housing stock and what needs to happen in the future."

The demand for housing will likely remain high for the next few years, but there will eventually come a point when construction will have to slow down or even have to stop.

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