Nearly 900 people made their way to the Port of Stockton to hear Mayor Kevin Lincoln give his State of the City address on Thursday.
“We have stood firm on the vision for our city, that Stockton will become the best city in America to live, raise a family, and grow a business,” Lincoln said at the opening of his address.
Organized by the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, every year the State of the City is held to allow the mayor to report on progress the city has made, showcase statistics, and give insight into where the city is headed for the next year.
Lincoln, who has served as mayor since 2021, first discussed homelessness — a topic typically at the forefront of Stockton’s issues.
During the 2022 Point in Time Count, an attempt made to track the number of sheltered homeless and unsheltered homeless people in the county, Stockton had 893 people living in the streets.
According to the mayor, in the past four years, Stockton has significantly invested in the expansion of homeless shelters, housing, and services, such as building ten emergency shelter projects, nine permanent supportive housing projects, and four affordable housing projects.
“Any narrative that life is doom and gloom in Stockton is simply not true, and we refuse to accept it.” Mayor Kevin Lincoln
“Reducing homelessness in Stockton is about taking actionable steps to address the root cause and improving the quality of life for all Stocktonians,” Lincoln said.
The mayor mentioned that the city broke ground on the first Homeless Navigation Center, which was slated to open within months, but a navigation center has yet to open in the city.
Just this month, another groundbreaking ceremony took place for Stockton’s first large non-congregate temporary emergency shelter, while other projects have not hit completion.
Lincoln said when all planned projects are completed, the city will have added 738 shelter beds and 862 housing units for individuals and families.
Lincoln discussed another thing plaguing the city — violent crime. However, the mayor offered a bit of good news.
In 2023, the city saw a 1.2 percent decrease in violent crimes, the mayor said, an 8 percent decrease in homicides, and removed 963 firearms from the streets.
“Let me be clear, a culture of lawlessness in in the city of Stockton, California will not be tolerated,” said Lincoln.
Not all updates were crime-related. Lincoln also shared positive things from the previous year. He recalled securing the sponsorship and naming rights for Stockton’s Adventist Health Arena, which he said changed the game for city event opportunities.
Stockton Flavor Fest also returned to the city with record-high attendance and won international awards, as well as the Stockton Lantern Festival that welcomed thousands of visitors.
“Any narrative that life is doom and gloom in Stockton is simply not true, and we refuse to accept it,” he said.
According to Lincoln, last year the city provided over $500,000 in entrepreneurship grants, issued 3,574 new business licenses and established a Food Truck Parks ordinance.
