CAHEC Honors Five Outstanding Recipients at 2026 Partners Conference Awards

CAHEC, a community investment organization based in Raleigh, NC, and Columbia, SC, presented its annual awards during the Partners Conference Awards Luncheon on June 9 in downtown Raleigh. The awards celebrate individuals and organizations whose dedication and leadership have made a meaningful impact on affordable housing and community development.

The Development of the Year award went to Valley River Apartments, a 56-unit affordable housing community in Murphy, North Carolina, completed in 2025. Developed by Western North Carolina Housing Partnership (WNCHP) in collaboration with FGM Development, LLC, it is CAHEC's seventh investment with WNCHP and tenth with FGM Development. Valley River received a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award in 2021, marking Cherokee County's first LIHTC award in a decade and its first new-construction LIHTC development in 26 years, providing critically needed affordable housing in Western North Carolina.

The Resident Spotlight Award was presented to Piok Chier, a high school freshman living at Partridge Pointe Apartments in Louisville, KY. Piok has become an integral part of resident programming through CAHEC's partnership with the local YMCA, helping coordinate weekly youth activities such as soccer camps and educational programs. He also volunteers with the Chestnut Street Family YMCA Summer Camp, participates in the Men of Quality program, serves on the Black Achievers Teen Senate, and volunteers with Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

The Outstanding Community Impact award recognized the North Florida School of Special Education (NFSSE) in Jacksonville, FL. In 2019, CAHEC New Markets provided $10.25 million in NMTC allocation to expand and enhance NFSSE's campus. The school serves approximately 248 students and over 100 post-graduates with intellectual and developmental differences, achieving a 56.2% job placement rate through vocational training. NFSSE features a therapeutic equestrian center, social enterprises like Berry Good Farms, and a reverse inclusion model that brings together individuals with and without disabilities.

First Bank, headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, received the Investor of the Year award. Over the past 15 years, First Bank has invested more than $34 million across nine CAHEC-sponsored funds and has grown from about $1 billion to over $12 billion in assets. The bank has also served as a construction lender on several CAHEC-syndicated developments, demonstrating a deep commitment to affordable housing.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Steve Rosenblatt, who has dedicated his career to affordable housing education and compliance. Starting in the mid-1970s, he managed a Rural Development housing portfolio and later founded Spectrum Seminars in 1986, establishing the Rural Development STAR designation. He developed the C3P Section 42 training program and founded Spectrum Compliance in 1991, which now employs nearly 40 professionals. Rosenblatt has trained tens of thousands of housing professionals and contributed to numerous industry events.

CAHEC's mission includes investing in low-income housing tax credits, historic tax credits, new markets tax credits, and renewable energy credits, as well as providing loan programs, wellness and education initiatives, affordable housing development, and property management services. More information can be found on CAHEC's website.