Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer delivered his State of the City Address, focusing on “The Promise of Orlando,” a city that offers opportunities for everyone to thrive. He emphasized the city’s commitment to providing a high quality of life, ensuring public safety, promoting equal opportunities, and addressing affordable housing and homelessness challenges.
In his remarks, Mayor Dyer highlighted the achievements of the Orlando Police Department, which saw a 22% decrease in shootings and a 7% overall decrease in violent crime. He also applauded the work of the city’s Community Response Team, who have responded to 2,000 service calls over the past two years and helped save more than 2,200 hours of police time while responding to behavioral health crisis calls.
The city remains dedicated to providing opportunities for all, including supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs. This year, $7.5 million has been committed to programs that assist businesses in starting and growing in Orlando.
Mayor Dyer shared Orlando is actively addressing homelessness through partnerships, investments, and job placement programs, aiming to reduce the number of unsheltered residents and ensure no child sleeps on the streets. The city also continues to make efforts to increase access to affordable housing. Since 2015, more than 3,100 housing units have been supported or constructed to address the community’s housing needs.
The Mayor also discussed efforts to improve residents’ quality of life, including investing in parks and shared neighborhood spaces and making transportation more efficient and sustainable.
Watch Mayor Dyer’s full address here.
