A short time ago, I had a week that began in Washington, D.C., included two days in North Dakota and ended in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. In North Dakota, I spoke to social workers who were trying to assist communities that were dealing with the oil boom brought about by the discovery of rich pockets of natural resources in the Bakken Shale region. Of particular note was the town of Williston, which has expanded in population size from 15,000 to almost 45,000 residents. The entire community is stressed by the sudden and unprecedented growth. Social service agencies, hospitals and schools are struggling to keep pace with the demand. Housing...

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