Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell highlights crime drop, affordable housing goals in State of City address

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell delivered the State of the City address Wednesday night, outlining efforts to reduce crime and expand affordable housing across the city.

Cowell said rent in Raleigh has dropped 10 percent in the past year, even as the income needed to purchase a home has doubled over the last several years.

The mayor reaffirmed the city's goal of building 5,700 affordable housing units by 2026.

Crime rates are also improving, Cowell noted, with violent crime down 1 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year. Property crime has also declined.