Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey delivered his State of the City Address, focusing on the city’s affordable housing production, current arts, vibrant storefronts work to revitalize downtown, the Southside Community Safety Center, police reform, the city workforce, and the budgeting process for 2025.
Since Mayor Frey took office in 2018, affordable housing has been a top priority, and the CPED housing team has led the charge. The Mayor and his administration have invested $363 million in affordable rental housing and homeownership programs. Over the past six years, the city has produced 4,679 total units of affordable housing, an average of 780 total units each year.
Minneapolis is working to bring the Southside Community Safety Center to fruition by next year, and local communities are shaping the vision alongside city partners. The Office of Community Safety (OCS) has met with community members during more than 15 engagement sessions and is collecting feedback directly from those who will be most impacted. OCS is also acting on recommendations from the Minneapolis Safe and Thriving Communities Report to address prevention, response, and restoration efforts.
The city is also focused on strengthening its workforce and has worked to get new hires in the door quicker, increase employee diversity, and retain critical talent. Compared to last year, applications to the city have gone up 101%, the time to fill jobs has decreased 26%, and the diverse team they are forming is serving the city with passion and skill. Additionally, Minneapolis this past year was recognized as an “Age Friendly Employer” by the Age Friendly Institute and as a “Most LGBTQ+ Friendly Employer” by Diversity for Social Impact.
Watch the Mayor’s full address here.
At a time when our rights, freedoms, and futures are under threat, Democratic Mayors are showing the nation what real leadership looks like.
