PIERRE, S.D.(WNAX & KCCR)- The first meeting of the South Dakota legislature’s “Workforce Housing Needs” summer study committee last week set the outlines of their goals.

One of those appearing before the committee, Julie Johnson of Aberdeen, representing “Homes for South Dakota” says workforce is a broad term.

“Homes for South Dakota” is a statewide coalition of non-profit housing organizations.

Johnson says legislators have to have an open mind when it comes to housing.

Johnson says there are also side issues not always directly connected to housing.

District 24 Representative Mike Weisgram is serving on the interim Workforce Housing summer study committee.  The committee’s first meeting was last week and Weisgram and fellow committee members sat through nearly five hours of testimony and information on the current housing situation in the state.

Weisgram says infrastructure issues became a consistent take-away as he studied South Dakota’s housing issues before the meeting.

Weisgram says a legislative housing study five years ago laid a lot of the ground work for the new committee to look at.

Weisgram is impressed with the experience assembled for the Committee.  He says funding for any program proposed by the Committee would remain up in the air.

The committee plans several more meetings through summer and into fall.