RALEIGH, NC – CAHEC, a community investment organization, presented its annual awards on June 9 during the 2026 CAHEC Partners Conference Awards Luncheon in downtown Raleigh, honoring five recipients for their outstanding contributions to affordable housing and community development. The awards recognize excellence in development, resident leadership, community impact, investment, and lifetime achievement.
Development of the Year – Valley River Apartments
Valley River Apartments, a 56-unit affordable housing community in Murphy, North Carolina, received the Development of the Year award. Completed in 2025, the family-oriented property was developed by Western North Carolina Housing Partnership (WNCHP) in collaboration with FGM Development, LLC. This marks CAHEC's seventh investment with WNCHP and its tenth with FGM Development. The project was critical for Cherokee County, as it was the county's first Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award in a decade and the first new-construction LIHTC development in 26 years. Valley River addresses a pressing need for affordable housing in Western North Carolina.
Resident Spotlight Award – Piok Chier
Piok Chier, a freshman in high school living at Partridge Pointe Apartments in Louisville, Kentucky, was honored for his leadership and community engagement. Through CAHEC's partnership with the local YMCA, Piok has become instrumental in organizing youth programming, including soccer camps and educational activities. 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 engages with Kentucky Refugee Ministries. His efforts have fostered community cohesion and provided opportunities for his peers.
Outstanding Community Impact – North Florida School of Special Education
The North Florida School of Special Education (NFSSE) in Jacksonville, Florida, was recognized for its transformative work with individuals with intellectual and developmental differences. In 2019, CAHEC New Markets provided $10.25 million in New Markets Tax Credit allocation to expand NFSSE's campus. Serving approximately 248 students and over 100 post-graduates, NFSSE offers innovative educational, vocational, and life-skills programs. Its vocational training has achieved a 56.2% job placement rate. The school also operates a therapeutic equestrian center and social enterprises like Berry Good Farms, promoting inclusion through a reverse inclusion model and maintaining a low teacher-to-student ratio of 1:6.
Investor of the Year – First Bank
First Bank, headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, received the Investor of the Year award for its longstanding partnership with CAHEC. Over 15 years, the bank has invested more than $34 million across nine CAHEC-sponsored funds and has served as a construction lender on several developments. During this period, First Bank grew from approximately $1 billion to over $12 billion in assets and now operates more than 100 branches in the Carolinas. Its commitment to affordable housing has helped expand access to low-income communities.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Steve Rosenblatt
Steve Rosenblatt was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades-long career in affordable housing education and compliance. Starting in the mid-1970s, he managed a Rural Development housing portfolio before founding Spectrum Seminars in 1986, where he developed the Rural Development STAR designation and the C3P Section 42 training program. In 1991, he founded Spectrum Compliance, now a nationally recognized firm employing nearly 40 professionals. Rosenblatt has trained tens of thousands of housing professionals and contributed to numerous events by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and CAHEC.
CAHEC is a community investment organization based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina, offering housing and life-changing opportunities across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Its work 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. For more information, visit CAHEC's website.
