Housing Sex Offenders Becoming a Growing Problem

Sex offenders are having a hard time finding housing in the F-M area.

Very few landlords even approve individuals that are registered sex offenders, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have any living in the area.
 
The Fargo-Moorhead area is known to be family friendly.

It’s one of the reasons why people pick up their lives and plant their roots here.
 
“When we moved here, it was really easy to meet people. Everywhere we go, everyone is really nice,” says Kate Ingersoll of Fargo.
 
Ingersoll, a parent of three, admits that when she was looking for a new home, she did check the registered sex offender list.
 
Ingersoll says, “It wasn’t a big issue for us where we were looking I guess. Maybe in other places it would be more of an issue but we didn’t run into any trouble with that.”
 
It’s a topic no one wants to talk about but it’s a conversation that is long overdue.
 
“The community is probably safer if there is a place to live and a place where somebody can go to work. Again, I recognize that nobody wants that sex offender living next door to them but they got to live somewhere,” says Cass County State’s Attorney Birch Burdick.
 
Most property owners in the F-M area say they have no tolerance for those registered as a sex offender.

But some think everyone should be given a second chance.
 
“People should be given a chance. Even our creator gave you an opportunity or chance. If you don’t have chance how can you be expected to be efficient?” says Elijah Dee of Moorhead.
 
A Minnesota law states that only level three offenders are public information.

But in North Dakota, moderate to high risk offenders have to be registered, bringing some comfort to families in Fargo.
 
“That is good especially having kids. You want to know who your neighbor is and whether or not you have good neighbors, I guess,” says Ingersoll.
 
Low risk level sex offenders are not listed in both North Dakota and Minnesota.

But a North Dakota law does require the North Dakota State Hospital to house Sexually Dangerous Individuals.