Fresno’s Best host Jordan Mattox sits down with Miguel Arámbula, executive director of the San Joaquin Valley Housing Collaborative, for a wide-ranging conversation about housing, entrepreneurship, and the future of downtown Fresno.
Miguel shares how his early experience rehabbing homes and working in community development led him into housing policy, and why he believes the Central Valley needs a stronger regional voice when competing for state housing resources. The conversation explores the complexity of housing—from land use regulations and financing to the cultural narratives around suburban development—and why increasing housing supply remains one of the most important factors in addressing affordability.
The second half of the episode turns to Miguel’s entrepreneurial projects in downtown Fresno. He discusses the origin story of Moses McQueen’s, a new bar he co-owns near the stadium and brewery district, and the long process of renovating a historic building and navigating the challenges of financing and development. Miguel also talks about launching a neighborhood farmers market in Tower District and why small, walkable gathering spaces are essential for vibrant communities.
San Joaquin Valley Housing Collaborative
Books:
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World Ian McGilchrist
On the Aesthetic Education of Man Friedrich Schiller
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