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 2026 CAHEC Awards honor individuals and organizations whose dedication and leadership have made a meaningful impact on affordable housing and community development across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
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, the project represents CAHEC's seventh investment with WNCHP and its tenth with FGM Development. Valley River provides critically needed affordable housing in Western North Carolina; when it received its Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award in 2021, it marked Cherokee County's first LIHTC award in a decade and its first new-construction LIHTC development in 26 years.
The Resident Spotlight Award went to Piok Chier, a high school freshman living at Partridge Pointe Apartments in Louisville, KY. Through CAHEC's partnership with the local YMCA, Piok has become a leader in resident programming, helping coordinate events and encouraging participation. He also volunteers with the Chestnut Street Family YMCA Summer Camp and participates in the Men of Quality program, Black Achievers Teen Senate, and The African in America soccer program, along with volunteer work with Kentucky Refugee Ministries.
Outstanding Community Impact was awarded 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 New Markets in 2019. NFSSE serves about 248 students and over 100 post-graduates with intellectual and developmental differences, offering vocational training and life-skills programming. The school has achieved a 56.2% job placement rate and operates social enterprises like Berry Good Farms. Its reverse inclusion model fosters integration between individuals with and without disabilities.
First Bank, headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, was named Investor of the Year. 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 CAHEC-syndicated developments. First Bank has grown from $1 billion to over $12 billion in assets and operates more than 100 branches.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Steve Rosenblatt, who has dedicated his career to affordable housing education and compliance. Starting in the 1970s, he managed Rural Development housing, founded Spectrum Seminars in 1986, and developed the C3P Section 42 training program. His company, Spectrum Compliance, employs nearly 40 professionals and is nationally recognized for tenant file reviews and compliance auditing. Rosenblatt has trained tens of thousands of housing professionals and contributed to numerous North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and CAHEC events.
CAHEC continues to invest in low-income housing tax credits, historic tax credits, new markets tax credits, and renewable energy credits, while also providing loans and resident services. For more information, visit CAHEC's website.
