Fernley's mayor remembers when the town had 500 people. Now it's pushing past 26,000, and the state is helping a local builder put up homes aimed at the people who keep it running.
Gov. Joe Lombardo joined Ryder Homes, local officials and community leaders on Thursday, Oct. 8, to break ground on Wilson Landing, according to the governor's office. The development will have 37 for-sale homes ranging from 1,300 to 1,700 square feet.
KOLO reported that the homes will sit on an almost 11-acre property off Wilson Way and Farm District Road, and that Ryder hopes to have them ready for move-in in 2027.
"We have to make sure people can afford to live here," Lombardo told KOLO.
A state loan that comes back
The Nevada Housing Division approved a $5 million low-interest loan for Wilson Landing through the Nevada Attainable Housing Account. That money will be repaid, so the state can reinvest it in future housing projects, the governor's office said. Wilson Landing is among the first Northern Nevada housing developments to move forward with support from the account.
The account was created by AB 540, the Nevada Housing Access and Attainability Act, during the 2025 legislative session, with $133 million for affordable and attainable housing. The law also expanded eligibility to essential workers earning up to 150% of area median income, people who often earn too much for traditional affordable housing but still struggle to buy.
That's the market Wilson Landing is going after. KOLO reported the homes will be priced for households earning 120% to 150% of area median income, which in Lyon County works out to about $112,000 to $140,000 a year under the Homeowner Assistance Fund income limits.
"If we're really trying to target workers, first responders, service industry people, these are the types of developments that will allow folks to live comfortably," Steve Aichroth, administrator of the Nevada Housing Division, told KOLO.
Aichroth said many families in the region are paying $2,000 to $3,000 a month in rent without building any equity.
A growing town
Steve Thomsen, Ryder Homes' vice president of Nevada operations, said Fernley's growth is driving the need.
"We are proud to break ground on Wilson Landing and to be part of an innovative effort to make homeownership more attainable for Nevada families," he said. "Fernley continues to grow, and that growth creates a real need for quality housing that working families can afford," Thomsen added in the state's release. "Wilson Landing is an important investment in this community and its future."
Fernley Mayor Neil McIntyre told KOLO his family moved to town 66 years ago, when it had 500 people. With five children, 25 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, he said he's hoping projects like this one make it possible for his own family to buy homes.
"With this affordable housing and AB 540, it makes it possible for them to be able to buy their own home," McIntyre said.
The state is spreading the attainable housing account around. In February, Lombardo announced more than $64 million in awards expected to support 358 for-sale homes and 1,208 rental units statewide. Earlier this month, the state's housing council approved another $38 million for 10 more projects.
"Breaking ground on Wilson Landing is an exciting step forward in putting Nevada's investment in attainable housing to work," Aichroth said in the release. "This is exactly the kind of public-private partnership envisioned through the Nevada Attainable Housing Account."
Ryder Homes, a Northern Nevada homebuilder, is building the homes.
Why it matters for Contractors
Thirty-seven homes isn't a giant job, but it's a steady one, and it's a test of whether state loans can get for-sale starter and move-up homes built in Northern Nevada's growing towns. If Wilson Landing works and the loan is repaid, the same money can fund the next project. For subcontractors in Fernley, Reno and Lyon County, that means work for site and utility crews on the 11 acres, then concrete, framing, roofing, siding and stucco, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, drywall and finish trades on the homes through 2027. With more AB 540 money flowing to single-family and small-scale projects, contractors who can build efficiently in the 1,300- to 1,700-square-foot range should find more opportunities like this one.