Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey delivered his annual State of the City Address Tuesday, outlining his administration's priorities and vision for the future.
Frey highlighted community strength, citing the city’s continued recovery from 2020 and outlined current key priorities from housing to community investment amidst a tough budget cycle.
He also zeroed in on the city’s new approaches and progress in reducing carjackings, violent crime, and addressing homelessness.
"Safety isn't just about law enforcement, it's also about relationships, problem properties, housing and health," says Mayor Frey. "It's about using data to drive outcomes and we're doing just that."
The mayor says he hope residents will be able to start seeing the buds of progress this summer.
The mayor also touched on investments in affordable housing, saying Minneapolis is one of the only cities in the country where rent growth has stayed below the rate of inflation.
"Our housing work leads the entire nation," says Frey. Since 2018, we've increased production of deeply affordable housing by eight and a half times. That's not just more housing in name, it's more homes indeed built for the people that need them most."
He says despite budget challenges and a recent string of violence he believes Minneapolis is on track to becoming a safer and more affordable place to live.
Frey's speech comes as he seeks reelection for a third term as mayor this fall.