2026 State of the City address; Milwaukee mayor shares vision
Milwaukee mayor talks housing, Trump in State of the City address
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson delivered his annual State of the City address Monday, March 30, at Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, focusing on housing affordability and development across the city.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson delivered his annual State of the City address Monday, March 30, at Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, focusing on housing affordability and development across the city.
State of the City address
What we know:
Johnson declared 2026 the "Year of Housing," saying access to affordable housing should be available to everyone who lives in or wants to move to Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson
"Homes can offer stability to a family, to a block, a neighborhood and yes, an entire city," said Johnson.
The mayor highlighted several efforts aimed at increasing housing supply, including new Habitat for Humanity homes, selling tax-foreclosed properties, and the city's "Raze and Revive" program aimed at removing blight and building new homes.
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Johnson also pointed to housing trends, noting Realtor.com rated Milwaukee as landlord-friendly in 2024 with vacancy rates below five percent. In 2025, the same rating listed Milwaukee as renter-friendly as more housing units became available.
"More units and more vacancies reduce the likelihood rents will rise," Johnson said.
Development across Milwaukee
What they're saying:
Johnson also addressed redevelopment plans for the former Northridge Mall site, which the city demolished and plans to sell later this year.
"They deserve a great development at this location," he said. "The site will be listed for sale this year and we're looking for a catalytic anchor to help redefine what's possible."
The mayor also announced plans to expand enforcement against illegal dumping using hidden cameras.
"The lazy and selfish people who dump piles of garbage in alleys and vacant lots have been surprised by our new enforcement efforts," Johnson said.
And on Milwaukee’s fight against reckless driving, the mayor said infrastructure changes are helping, including bump-outs, protected bike lanes and narrower streets.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson
He says 35th Street saw a 42% drop in crashes.
Getting political
Dig deeper:
Johnson also criticized President Donald Trump’s immigration policies during the speech.
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"The deadly and malicious immigration policy of President Donald Trump's administration is particularly egregious," he said. "I will be direct: immigrants make Milwaukee stronger, safer and richer.
Milwaukee City Hall
"Under the current administration, ties between the local and the federal governments have broken," Johnson added.
The other side:
Republicans in attendance pushed back on the comments.
"The mayor said that he said the worst of the worst should be deported. Yes, but the way that he painted his message was as if Republicans are against immigration altogether. That's not true. Republicans believe in legal immigration, and the President has said numerous times that he believes in a merit-based system, and so that's what we believe in," said Hilario DeLeon, Milwaukee County Republican Party chairperson. "I hope that the mayor would be willing to work with us if they're having trouble on reaching out to the federal government. You know, we have contacts that work in the administration."
Full speech
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Office of Milwaukee Mayor.