CAHEC, a community investment organization based in Raleigh, NC, and Columbia, SC, presented its annual awards on June 9 during the 2026 CAHEC Partners Conference Awards Luncheon in downtown Raleigh. The awards honor individuals and organizations whose dedication and leadership have made a meaningful impact on affordable housing and community development. This year's recipients include Valley River Apartments, Piok Chier, the North Florida School of Special Education, First Bank, and Steve Rosenblatt.
Valley River Apartments received the Development of the Year award. Completed in 2025, the 56-unit affordable housing community in Murphy, North Carolina, was developed by Western North Carolina Housing Partnership (WNCHP) in collaboration with FGM Development, LLC. CAHEC has a longstanding relationship with both organizations, with Valley River representing CAHEC's seventh investment alongside WNCHP and its tenth investment with FGM Development. The project marked a significant milestone 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 provides critically needed affordable housing in Western North Carolina.
Piok Chier, a freshman in high school residing at Partridge Pointe Apartments in Louisville, KY, received the Resident Spotlight Award. He has become an integral part of resident programming through CAHEC's partnership with the local YMCA, which brings weekly youth programming to the property, including soccer camps and educational activities. Piok has helped coordinate events, encouraged participation among neighbors, and engaged enthusiastically in activities. His leadership extends beyond his community, as he 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 was presented to the North Florida School of Special Education (NFSSE) in Jacksonville, FL. In 2019, CAHEC New Markets provided $10.25 million of NMTC allocation to expand and enhance its campus. NFSSE serves approximately 248 students and more than 100 post-graduates with intellectual and developmental differences through educational, vocational, and life-skills programming. The school has achieved a job placement rate of 56.2% among vocational training participants. Its social enterprises, including Berry Good Farms, provide opportunities for participants to build job skills, and its reverse inclusion model fosters integration. NFSSE is supported by a low teacher-to-student ratio of 1:6 and individualized educational planning.
First Bank was named Investor of the Year. Headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, the bank has partnered with CAHEC for over 15 years, investing more than $34 million across nine CAHEC-sponsored funds. First Bank has grown from approximately $1 billion to more than $12 billion in assets and operates over 100 branch locations throughout the Carolinas. The bank has also served as a construction lender on several CAHEC-syndicated developments, helping expand access to affordable housing.
Steve Rosenblatt received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Beginning in the mid-1970s, he managed a Rural Development housing portfolio before becoming a leading trainer for affordable housing staff. In 1986, he founded Spectrum Seminars and established the Rural Development STAR designation. He later 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 events sponsored by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and CAHEC.
CAHEC offers housing and life-changing opportunities throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, investing in low-income housing tax credits, historic tax credits, new markets tax credits, and renewable energy credits. It also provides loan programs, wellness and education initiatives, affordable housing development, and property management services. More information is available on CAHEC's website.
