September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about suicide as a serious public health problem, to highlight that suicide is preventable and everyone has an important role to play. Community members can easily access free online mental health support by visiting Fargo Cass Public Health website.
At the Fargo Public Library, another successful Summer Reading Challenge wrapped up in late August where 1,451 children, 186 teens and 604 adults registered for the challenge. The October Jazz into Fall concert series at the Main Library kicks off October 1st with The Fargo Sax Quartet. September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. Applying is easy and can be done on the library’s website. The cards are free to Fargo residents and can be used in a variety of ways – from borrowing books and audiobooks to streaming movies to attending storytimes to taking classes.
The apartment vacancy rate in Fargo as of June 1, 2023 was 4.2 percent, up from 3.1 percent last June, but the same as the 4.2 percent average rate for 2022. Since 2019, the vacancy rate has declined from 8.9 percent to 4.2 percent. As of June 1st, there were 1,623 apartments under construction in the metro area, including 1,360 in Fargo. Permits have been issued for 314 multi-family housing units since June 1 and for 2023 to-date, Fargo has issued permits for 990 multi-family housing units. Single family permits are much less than last year. In the first 8 months of the year, permits were issued for 149 single family houses, down from 297 houses in the first 8 months of 2022.
The mission of the Gladys Ray Shelter is to provide a safe, comfortable temporary shelter for people who often do not have other options in the community, and to help connect people to housing and services in a welcoming and non-judgmental environment. The Gladys Ray Shelter is a free shelter for homeless adults regardless of physical or emotional conditions, and aims to facilitate their move towards self-sufficiency. In this video you will hear from employees at the G-Ray, learn more about the services provided at the shelter, and hear how it has impacted people in this area.