We are delighted to announce the addition of Joaquin Altoro to our Board of Directors! As Managing Director at Falcon Capital Advisors, Joaquin helps design and structure complex housing finance transactions while advising partners on strategies to align capital with long-term community development goals.

With over 30 years of experience across banking, state government, and federal leadership, he is nationally recognized for advancing innovative approaches to housing finance and capital deployment that create impact at scale.

Joaquin also served as Administrator of USDA's Rural Housing Service, a White House Presidential Appointee responsible for a $185 billion portfolio of loans, guarantees, and grants supporting single-family and multifamily housing, as well as essential community facilities. In this role, he strengthened programs serving rural and Tribal communities and contributed to federal housing priorities through the White House Domestic Policy Council's Interagency Group on Housing Policy.

Dana Boole, President & CEO of CAHEC, said that "Joaquin is a dynamic thought leader with unmatched expertise around housing finance, economic development, and strategic growth. His community investment acumen - leveraged by his tenure as CEO of WHEDA and Administrator of USDA Rural Housing Service - allows Joaquin the opportunity to be a powerful voice within an already impactful CAHEC Board."

We are pleased to announce the publication of our annual ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) report. Our 2024 ESG Impact Report provides content and context towards our accomplishments and goals in being a sustainable, resilient, and purposeful organization. Specifically, this year's report provides a detailed analysis of the voluntary ESG frameworks that CAHEC has chosen to report on, our accomplishments within these frameworks (January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024), and our future initiatives.

For more information, or to receive a copy of the 2024 ESG Impact Report, please contact Amy Cross at across@cahec.com.

At CAHEC, nearly a dozen employees have been part of our team for 15 years or more. These dedicated individuals are often the first people who come to mind when someone mentions our organization. Through our Faces of CAHEC campaign, we set out to uncover what’s kept them here all these years - and their insights reflect exactly why they’re such an essential part of who we are. This month, we're excited to feature one of our RIsk Managers, Nancy Pearce.

What does affordable housing mean to you? Affordable housing means that we're providing a safe place for residents to live that costs no more than 30% of a household's income. To assess unmet needs, it's important to consider different groups, like families, individuals, adults with developmental disabilities, seniors, and those with special needs who wish to live independently. An early, yet important, strategy is to identify financial partners (cities, counties, non-profits, for-profits, and state and federal agencies) to support the development and sustainability of affordable housing in each community.

What has been one of your favorite moments at CAHEC? Years ago, after working hard to complete a senior housing transaction at CAHEC, I attended a ribbon cutting. A resident told me how much she loved living there, highlighting the safety of key-coded access and lower electric bills due to better insulation. She said it makes affording food and medicine easier. That moment reminded me how meaningful and rewarding affordable housing work truly is.

What's one piece of advice you'd give someone who is looking at affordable housing as a career choice? Learn to underwrite: build analytical skills to assess all aspects of a development deal and spot strengths and weaknesses. Take courses (like those from Grow America), develop business intuition, and stay informed by reading industry newsletters. If you don't understand a term, look it up - you'll be surprised how much you can learn!

CAHEC New Markets is seeking insight into the needs of low-income communities and persons throughout our southeast and mid-Atlantic service area. We value our affordable housing and community development partners' knowledge of their communities and ask that you take a few minutes to complete the 2025 Community Outreach Survey.

The survey results will help us better understand the needs of the communities and residents we serve to better guide future New Markets Tax Credit investments. Respondents also have the choice to enter a drawing at the end of the survey for a chance to win a set of Apple AirPods Pro 3. The survey will close on Thursday, November 6, 2025.

Congrats to the following property on achieving 100% occupancy:

Orchard Pointe - Sanford, NC

Valley River - Murphy, NC