Mayor Charles Meeker of Raleigh, North Carolina is being honored for being a strong proponent of affordable housing and downtown revitalization initiatives. Mayor Meeker has demonstrated his commitment to ensuring all Raleigh residents benefit from the city's rapid growth and redevelopment efforts. Mayor Meeker led the effort to issue $60 million in general obligation bonds to support new affordable housing. Since 2003, Mayor Meeker has also supported Community Development Block Grant Public Service projects, from which 13 nonprofit and faith-based organizations have received over $650,000 in grants to provide social, educational, and other supportive services to low-income families in the city.