BISMARCK — Gov. Doug Burgum announced today that help is available through the North Dakota Department of Human Services for qualifying renters and homeowners impacted by the extended power outage in northwest North Dakota following the April 22-23 blizzard and ice storm.
“North Dakotans have always come together to help each other through severe weather events, and the state is grateful to be able to offer assistance to residents and families who lost power for extended periods in this historic ice storm and blizzard,” Burgum said. “As utility companies continue to work overtime to restore power to customers, this assistance can provide a measure of relief for eligible renters and homeowners who have needed to run generators or rent hotel rooms until service is restored.”
Households in Burke, Divide, McKenzie, Mountrail and Williams counties that have been without power for five or more days due to the April ice storm and who earn less than the median income in their county can apply for temporary financial help through the department’s new NW N.D. Emergency Housing Stability (NWND-EHS) program.
The short-term program can provide up to $100 per day, per impacted household. Funds are intended to help reimburse renters and homeowners for hotel lodging costs incurred if they were unable to safely remain at home without power or for extraordinary costs associated with operating a generator for residential purposes during the power outage.
“The extended power outages in the northwest region have added yet another challenge for North Dakota households who continue to recover from the pandemic,” said department Executive Director Chris Jones. “We are thankful we are able to provide assistance that can address some of the costs associated with maintaining stable housing and well-being.”
North Dakotans in the five affected counties can apply online until June 15, 2022, by selecting the “housing” tab on helpishere.nd.gov, or at a North Star Human Service Zone or Mountrail McKenzie Human Service Zone office location office. Applicants will need to verify their identity, address and household income. More details are online at https://www.applyforhelp.nd.gov/nw-nd-emergency-housing-stability.
The NW N.D. Emergency Housing Stability program assistance is available retroactively from the beginning of the power outage event on April 23 through the restoration of power to a participant’s home. NWND-EHS help can be used in conjunction with other housing assistance that may be available, including ND Rent Help.
As of late Tuesday, an estimated 2,600 households remained without power, according to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.
