A BILL for an Act to provide an appropriation to the department of commerce for a housing for opportunity, mobility, and empowerment program; to provide for a legislative management report; and to declare an emergency.

SB 2225 appropriates $50 million from North Dakota's Strategic Investment Fund to the Department of Commerce for grants supporting housing infrastructure. The bill provides funding to local communities (with allocations based on population size) to lower costs for infrastructure needed for market-rate housing projects, requiring a 1:1 match from local governments, developers, and private funds. Communities must use the funds for infrastructure like roads or utilities to support new housing, with reporting requirements to the legislature by June 2026. The program expires June 30, 2027, and aims to address housing needs in both urban and rural areas.