Building boom for apartments in Grand Forks

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) -- More than 300 new apartment units were under construction in the Grand Forks area in 2012, but finding a place to rent can still be tough.

The Grand Forks Inspections Office issued building permits for 292 units last year, and nearly 40 are under construction in downtown East Grand Forks. There are plans for more than 400 additional units filed with the Grand Forks Planning Department.

But The Grand Forks Herald reports that in spite of the heavy construction, only 2.8 percent of the area's approximately 7,000 privately owned apartments are available at any time.

In theory, the vacancy rate should ease as more units are available.

But Emily Wright with the Grand Forks Housing Authority says that as more apartments are built, the more in demand they are.

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