During the 2007-2014 Oil Boom in North Dakota, the towns of Williston, Watford City, and Dickinson soon had occupancy rates of over 100%. Readers may wonder, how could a town have an occupancy rate of over 100%? This happens when people begin living in tents and campers in homeowners’ backyards, sleeping in homeowners’ garages, sleeping inside vehicles at places of employment, Walmart, truck-stops, recreational parks, and industrial parks.

Williston, Watford City, and Dickinson began constructing many new single-family homes, large apartment developments, new trailer parks, expansion of existing trailer parks, and temporary “Man-Camp” housing. (The featured photo shows a closed Man-Camp outside of South Heart.)

New England had some existing available single-family homes for rent or for sale, that were less expensive than what was available in Dickinson, partly because New England was twenty-five miles further south from the busiest oil field activity, and also due to New England having very few places to shop, bars, or restaurants.

Some houses in New England were improved and made more livable because there became a financial reason and payoff in doing so. Some commercial buildings in downtown New England were renovated to become more suitable for use as housing. A few new homes were constructed. However, there were no new apartment buildings constructed, new trailer parks created, new commercial buildings constructed, or Man-Camps in New England.

After the Oil Boom was over improvements were made to the New England Public School and the Emergency Services building.