Good morning! It’s Monday, April 6. This is Rob.
Still warm. Sunny skies today with highs in the mid-80s. NOAA
Fresnoland is hiring: That’s right, we’re hiring for our first-ever Senior Revenue Officer to help lead and execute our fundraising strategy with local donors and sponsors. Share with your fundraising friends! Fresnoland
Baseball and beer! Kick off the Grizzlies season at the Beer Garden at 5:30 p.m. April 7, with live music from The Stereo Hopeful. Grab a beer and a game voucher for $15, at the Beer Garden, and stick around for fireworks after the game. Tioga Beer Garden
Cheers! Moses McQueen’s opens its historic doors in downtown Fresno. ABC30
1. Studying institutional ownership in Fresno
Fresno leaders want to know whether corporate mega-landlords are actually a problem locally.
“There’s a lot of criticism thrown at corporate landlords – from locking prospective homebuyers out of the market through competitive cash offers, to using AI-driven algorithms to set higher prices for rent,” Fresnoland’s Danielle Bergstrom writes.
But some housing experts are skeptical.
In a Fresnoland interview, one state housing expert noted that corporate landlords still only comprise about 2% of the statewide housing market.
Councilmember Annalisa Perea, whose proposed study received unanimous support from the City Council last month, says she’s motivated by the stories of institutional investors overpaying with literal bags of cash to outbid prospective and especially first-time home buyers.
Investment expert Robin Kane says that the angst towards corporate landlords in the housing market is understandable, but misplaced. Kane and others say the real culprit is a scarcity of supply.
Kane: “If you’re raising rents 8 to 10% year over year in an economy where salaries are only going up 2 to 3% a year – this movie isn’t gonna end well.”
2. ‘These are acts of love’
Fresno’s Easter weekend festivities included a Good Friday procession outside downtown ICE office with prayer, song, and scripture, centering their message on compassion for immigrant families.
Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina was on hand for the gathering, where pastors guided attendees through the Stations of the Cross, a series of 14 reflections that trace key moments from Jesus’ sentencing to his death and burial.
The Rev. Joseph V. Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno joined other clergy at the gathering, which was organized in collaboration with Faith in the Valley.
Clergy took turns reading biblical passages and leading prayers tied to each moment, creating what organizers described as both a spiritual and communal act.
Father Art Gramaje: “It’s an accompaniment of our immigrant brothers and sisters, and these are acts of love. “We’re praying in particular for families who have been separated, families who are struggling, those who are living in fear.”
3. When the rain comes?
Fresno’s hot spring steamrolled through Easter weekend but cooler weather is on the way, KMPH reports.
Temperatures are expected to linger in the 80s for most of the work week with a gradual cooldown — and maybe even some rain — as the weekend approaches.
Rain clouds could begin creeping in Thursday night and help drag temperatures down into the 70s.
And while March heat was well above average, meteorologists who’ve spoken with Fresnoland say it’s still soon to know whether we’re in for a longer, hotter summer.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Danielle Bergstrom.
