CAHEC, a community investment organization based in Raleigh, NC, and Columbia, SC, presented five awards at its annual Partners Conference Awards Luncheon on June 9 in downtown Raleigh, recognizing individuals and organizations whose dedication has advanced affordable housing and community development. The awards underscore the ongoing need for affordable housing and the collaborative efforts required to address it.
The Development of the Year award was given 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, Valley River represents CAHEC's seventh investment with WNCHP and its tenth with FGM Development. The project was critically needed in Western North Carolina, as it was Cherokee County's first Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award in a decade and the first new-construction LIHTC development in 26 years, according to CAHEC. This highlights the scarcity of affordable housing development in rural areas and the importance of such investments.
The Resident Spotlight Award went to Piok Chier, a freshman in high school living at Partridge Pointe Apartments in Louisville, KY. Piok has become a leader in resident programming through CAHEC's partnership with the local YMCA, which brings weekly youth programming to the property, including soccer camps and educational activities. He helps coordinate events, encourages participation, and volunteers with the Chestnut Street Family YMCA Summer Camp. Piok also participates in the Men of Quality program, serves on the Black Achievers Teen Senate, and volunteers with Kentucky Refugee Ministries. His engagement demonstrates how affordable housing communities can foster youth leadership and community involvement.
The Outstanding Community Impact award was presented to the North Florida School of Special Education (NFSSE) in Jacksonville, FL, which received $10.25 million in New Markets Tax Credit allocation from CAHEC in 2019 to expand its campus. NFSSE serves approximately 248 students and more than 100 post-graduates with intellectual and developmental differences, providing educational, vocational, and life-skills programming. The school has achieved a 56.2% job placement rate among vocational training participants through its social enterprises like Berry Good Farms and a reverse inclusion model that integrates individuals with and without disabilities. With a low teacher-to-student ratio of 1:6, NFSSE's approach shows how targeted investment can create lasting community impact.
First Bank, headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, was named Investor of the Year for its 15-year partnership with CAHEC, investing over $34 million across nine CAHEC-sponsored funds. The bank has grown from approximately $1 billion to over $12 billion in assets and operates more than 100 branches in the Carolinas. First Bank has also served as a construction lender on several CAHEC-syndicated developments, illustrating the critical role financial institutions play in expanding affordable housing access.
Steve Rosenblatt received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his career dedicated to affordable housing education and compliance. Beginning in the mid-1970s, he managed a Rural Development housing portfolio before founding Spectrum Seminars in 1986, establishing 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 North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and CAHEC events, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.
These awards highlight the multifaceted efforts needed to address the affordable housing crisis, from development and resident engagement to education and financial investment. CAHEC's recognition of these recipients underscores the importance of collaboration across sectors to create and sustain affordable housing opportunities.
