Key Takeaways from CCRE’s Central Valley Panel: Leaders Chart Pragmatic Path on Housing

The Center for California Real Estate (CCRE), in partnership with Fresno State’s Gazarian Real Estate Center, convened local leaders for a panel discussion on Thursday, October 16, 2025, in Fresno.

The panel, titled “Central Valley Strategies: Local Pathways to Housing Progress,” featured Jerry Dyer, Mayor of the City of Fresno; Carol Ornelas, President & CEO of Visionary Home Builders of California; and Bernadette Austin, CEO of CivicWell. The conversation was moderated by Dr. Andres Jauregui, Director of the Gazarian Real Estate Center.

The discussion explored the region’s most pressing housing challenges — from migration and affordability to infrastructure and climate resilience — while highlighting actionable, locally driven solutions shaping the future of the Central Valley.

Migration Reshaping Demand and Expectations

The Central Valley’s housing market is being redrawn by migration trends that are blending urban coastal incomes with lower inland price points, testing local affordability. Bernadette Austin of CivicWell highlighted how pandemic-era moves from coastal metros to the Central Valley changed the calculus: people were moving not just for affordability, but for space, home offices, backyards, and quality of life. Digging into the migration dynamics, Austin said, “People migrating from high-cost areas, are bringing equity with them.” She added, “Remote workers can retain those high paying jobs, making it very difficult to compete in a community like Fresno.”

Carol Ornelas of Visionary Home Builders of California underscored that trend from the builder’s perspective, describing, “The first day that I opened a new apartment complex, I had 900 applications… The majority of them were from the Bay Area.” She added that while most didn’t qualify due to higher incomes, the situation illustrated how migration pressures are changing who’s competing for the Central Valley’s housing supply.

Build, Build, Build!

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer connected supply constraints to affordability and homelessness, outlining the city’s One Fresno Housing Strategy, new housing division, and a suite of tools from ADU plan sets to a revolving loan fund for gap financing downtown. His north star was concise: “’Build, Build, Build’ should be our model.”

Dyer says the city is digging out of a housing deficit that’s been years in the making. When he took office, only 88 affordable housing units were built the prior year. Now, more than 800 are underway, with 1,600 projected for 2026. He also underscored the need for balance: “Affordable housing doesn't pay the bills. We don't get property tax from it. We have to have market rate, and we have to have a balance.”

Builders Face Soaring Costs

From the builder’s seat, Ornelas, President & CEO of Visionary Home Builders of California, laid out the construction math facing both single-family and multifamily projects — rising insurance, labor shortages, tariffs, and multi-lender complexity. When asked if $300,000 homes are still feasible, Ornelas was blunt: “that’s not reality.”  She noted that pre-pandemic, her organization could secure course-of-construction insurance for roughly that amount.

Ornelas also pointed to how every layer of financing adds cost and time. Despite those hurdles, she urged communities to better understand what modern housing truly costs to build — and to rally behind solutions that make development viable across income levels.

REALTOR® Engagement and Advocacy

Throughout the discussion, panelists stressed the importance of REALTORS® using their collective voice to shape housing policy. Dyer urged members to be present at hearings and policy forums: “REALTORS® have a unified voice, and anytime you have a unified voice, it gets louder and gets heard.”

Austin echoed this sentiment, pointing out that REALTORS® have unique insight into their communities and can help inform local planning processes. “REALTORS® are on the front lines of livability,” she said, encouraging greater involvement in issues like transportation, schools, and general plans that directly affect housing markets.

Watch the recording to hear the full conversation and view past CCRE panel discussions on housing solutions.