In Fargo’s quiet neighborhoods, a college football player’s family is locked in a struggle over housing regulations. They’ve invested in a home for their son, Kelton, and four teammates near NDSU, believing they’ve created the perfect setup. But city ordinances say only three unrelated people can live together, and neighbors aren’t happy. As the showdown with the Planning Commission looms, the McCaslins hope for a permit to keep the dream team under one roof, amidst complaints of parking woes and alleged rule-breaking.
Why does this matter in Minot? The story is about a fight between city hall and a property owner; but the larger issue is in the subtext — this is about housing affordability and the regulations propping prices up. It invites the question — are we serious about housing affordability? If the answer is yes, we’ll allow small disturbances to penetrate our thus far pristine fiefdoms of R1 bliss.
