The City of Fresno is back in the good graces of the state’s housing regulators.
That’s just one of the many announcements Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer shared on Wednesday during his 2026 State of the City address. The speech primarily focused on new housing and commercial opportunities the city can expect to see in the near future, which the mayor touted as part of his administration’s “One Fresno” vision.
Arguably the most noteworthy announcement on Wednesday, however, was Dyer’s news that the city had regained its Prohousing Designation. The designation is a status from the California Housing And Community Development Agency to cities and counties that they deem to be carrying out their responsibility to address the state’s housing crisis.
Reclaiming that designation makes the city eligible for critical housing grants from the state.
“And I mean tens of millions of dollars will become available to this city,” Dyer said.
The City of Fresno first received the Prohousing Designation in March of 2023 after receiving the greenlight on a string of housing-related projects and strategies.
When those programs failed to advance, Dyer acknowledged Wednesday, the state revoked the crucial rainmaking designation.
At the time, the council was in the middle of a seemingly never-ending series of hearings on whether to approve a policy to allow for ministerial approval of housing proposals on office buildings and vacant properties — one of the plans needed for the Prohousing Designation requirements.
The city eventually got there, after a series of changes to the original policy. They’ve also approved a handful of other policies needed to get back on good terms with the state’s housing agency.
It remains unclear how much potentially funding the city left on the table over the last year while scrambling to regain the critical designation.
The California Housing And Community Development Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dyer touts minor league hockey’s return to downtown Fresno
Dyer also announced on Wednesday that the Fresno Falcons, a minor-league professional hockey team that dissolved in 2008, would return in October to play games at the Selland Arena downtown.
The Falcons were founded in 1946, and played in multiple leagues at the Selland Arena and the Save Mart Center. The franchise was affiliated with the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks during that time.
The franchise abruptly dissolved in 2008, citing financial troubles.
Dyer said that there are already 28 home games scheduled for the team, which he said would play as part of the Federal Prospects Hockey League.
Dyer and other local stakeholders also unveiled a new logo and uniform for the franchise.
“We have a five-year contract,” Dyer said on Wednesday. “Now let’s sell out Selland Arena so the Falcons will remain here forever.”
The Falcons’ return to the city is a breakthrough for Dyer, who has zeroed in on professional sports as a key method to help revitalize the city’s downtown.
Last year, Dyer announced that the city had entered into an exclusive bargaining agreement with the United Soccer League, in an attempt to bring a professional soccer franchise to the heart of the city. The plans, if they materialize, would include building a soccer stadium downtown.
The news also comes just about a week before state lawmakers release the May budget revision for the next fiscal year. If things go Dyer’s way, the final installment of what has been a nearly $300 million commitment from Gov. Gavin Newsom to help the city with downtown revitalization, will be included, granting Fresno’s mayor another win in his efforts.
Dyer says SEDA ‘misunderstood’
As he did last year, Dyer defended and promoted his signature housing plan, a massive 45,000-home suburban sprawl development that he says is necessary to meet the city’s growth. The plan has received fierce backlash and criticism from critics concerned over the project’s drain on Fresno schools and other public resources.
Dyer on Wednesday once again characterized the SEDA development as “complex,” “controversial” and “misunderstood.” He stressed that the plan is critical for all of the city’s long-term goals.
“Why? Because 40% of our general fund, that’s used to support police, fire (departments), parks, etcetera…40% of our revenue comes from property taxes,” Dyer said.
He later said, “Please hear me, the supply of housing must always meet the demand.”
Critics believe that the sticker price for the plan is too high, and that if such investments are to be made, they should instead be done through infill development, or through already established city limits. But Dyer argued that SEDA doesn’t ignore those concerns.
“It’s not an ‘either or’ when it comes to SEDA or infill development,” Dyer said “It is both.”
The latest chapter on SEDA occurred during the Fresno City Council’s last meeting of 2025, where they directed city staff to conduct further studies on the proposal at the conclusion of an eight-hour hearing that saw hundreds of constituents voice their opposition to the plan.
Dyer ended his remarks by asking his audience to “keep an open mind” on the plan once it returns to the council agenda “later this summer.”
“Hopefully my school districts agree,” Dyer said at the conclusion of his SEDA talks.
The Central Unified School District’s board of trustees voted to officially oppose SEDA during a vote last month.
The vote came a few weeks after a Fresnoland article revealed that Dyer privately lobbied Fresno Unified School District trustees to not oppose the measure during their meeting — a story that garnered national attention.
The State Of The City Address is a fundraiser that sold out, according to event organizers. Residents will be able to broadcast the event in full on KSEE 24 in full at 7 p.m. May 21.
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