In October 2025, city officials in Bismarck, North Dakota are facing a mounting crisis: the homeless population continues to grow, even as bans on public encampments and limited daytime shelter access push visibility — and pressure — to the forefront.
According to a May 2025 report from KFYR‑TV, the city’s homeless population has increased, with many affected individuals grappling with mental or behavioral health issues, addiction and housing insecurity. The report points out that the Bismarck City Commission banned encampments last October, which advocates say has forced many to stay in visible — and vulnerable — areas of the south side.
More recently, the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency held its first statewide homelessness conference in Bismarck on October 14, gathering service providers and community partners to coordinate responses to the rising crisis.
With daytime options limited (notably the United Way Center for Opportunity shelter in Bismarck no longer operating 24 hours according to the KFYR story) locals see more visible homelessness.
The increase affects not only the unhoused but also neighbors and businesses on the city’s south side; as one resident put it: “They’re all over the place, and that’s what leads to a lot more problems and crimes and things like that in the area.”
Rising homelessness highlights underlying housing pressures — fewer affordable units, higher rents, and low vacancy could exacerbate Bismarck’s housing challenges.
Local shelters and nonprofits say they’re overwhelmed and appeal to citizens for support. “It would take 250 people donating $2,500 extra dollars … to open the shelter during the daytime again.” said one executive.
Once you get people stable or someplace they feel safe, then they can rebuild their lives.” — Jeannie Messall, director at Edwinton Place, a permanent supportive-housing site in Bismarck.
Bismarck’s growing homeless population is no longer an out-of-sight issue — it’s now a challenge pressing into the everyday life of the capital city. With shelters stretched thin, shelters’ hours reduced and public encampments banned, the city must pivot fast.
Whether through expanded “Housing First” models, increased daytime shelter access or affordable housing incentives, Bismarck’s next moves will matter. For residents who drive through the south side, shop downtown or volunteer with local nonprofits, the question isn’t if the crisis matters — it’s what we’ll do about it.