FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Fresno’s Mayor Jerry Dyer said Monday that rent control would not solve Fresno’s homeless and unhoused situation. The mayor’s comments came as part of a press conference announcing the city’s encampment ordinance .
Mayor Dyer revealed that, following a recent meeting with other mayors in Boston, there was no feeling that rent control is the answer – but instead offered a different solution.
“States and cities that have incorporated rent control, in Washington and a number of others, it has not been successful. What has been proven successful is when you increase the supply of housing that will meet or exceed the demand for housing.”
Dyer says creating affordable housing, whether subsidized or deliberately designed to be affordable (such as manufactured housing), is more effective than rent control.
“We’re doing that in Fresno,” Dyer said. “We’re building our first, manufactured housing project in northwest Fresno. We broke ground in April. We’re going to be cutting the ribbon on that project in December. That’s how fast we’re doing it.”