Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is being tapped by to lead a national task force on homelessness.
Dyer revealed the news on KSEE 24’s Sunday Morning Matters, saying he agreed to head the task force but still has to be officially appointed.
The backstory: Dyer traveled to Washington D.C. to meet at the White House for the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting.
- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is a non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, which now includes more than 1,400 cities across the nation.
State of play: President Joe Biden addressed the conference and expressed an interest in forming a task force of mayors from across the nation to tackle the homelessness crisis, leading to Dyer being approached by the Mayor’s organization about taking charge.
- It is Dyer’s latest move on the national stage. His initial entrance into office was marked with a lengthy profile by the Washington Post stumping for Biden’s sweeping American Rescue Plan.
- The Fresno Mayor also appeared on CNN last year calling for tighter gun restrictions.
What they’re saying: “We all share the same issue in terms of the number of homeless that are on our streets and the inability to house those,” Dyer said. “So it will be a task force that I think is going to be much needed and very active.”
