On Sept. 7, preservationist Matthew Brown hosted a crowd at his historic home for Livable Raleigh’s Fall Fundraiser. Brown applauded the organization’s advocacy for citizen engagement and its work with the city to help restore the network of Citizen Advisory Councils, which were disbanded in 2020. Former mayor Charles Meeker gave remarks and attorney Yolanda Taylor, the chair of the Wake County Housing Authority, discussed challenges in governmental support for affordable housing.

This article originally appeared in the November 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.