CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A long-time employee of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund has been awarded one of the state’s most prestigious honors. Bob Cary, the Fund’s HOME Program Manager, was named a Distinguished Mountaineer by Gov. Joe Manchin.

Al Wiggens of West Virginia Home of Our Own, Bob Cary of the Fund and Elliot Birkhead of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Cary, who has worked at the Fund since 1982, was given the award during a brief ceremony Thursday morning at the Fund’s main office on Virginia Street.

According to the Proclamation, Cary was “instrumental in obtaining mortgage funding for low income buyers with developmental disabilities through the West Virginia Consolidated Action Plan.”

“This award goes to everyone in the Housing Fund who works so hard to make the dream of home ownership a reality for all West Virginians,” Cary stated.

Al Wiggens of the West Virginia Home of Our Own Alliance and Elliot Birkhead of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services presented the proclamation, which had been signed by Gov. Manchin earlier that morning.

As manager of the HOME Program, which helps low and moderate income families make the purchase of a home more affordable, Cary works tirelessly to assist people in what could be most expensive, complex acquisition of their lives. His Distinguished Mountaineer award was a direct result of Cary’s efforts to help residents with developmental disabilities find safe, affordable housing.

“We’re so proud of Bob,” stated Joe Hatfield, executive director for The Fund. “This is a well-earned and well-deserved honor. His work truly speaks for itself and all of West Virginia is lucky to have him. He is an example for all us.”

The West Virginia Housing Development Fund is a public body corporate and governmental instrumentality of the State of West Virginia established to increase the supply of residential housing for persons and families of low- and moderate-income, and to provide construction and permanent mortgage financing to public and private sponsors of such housing. To date, the Housing Development Fund has sold over $3 billion in tax-exempt bonds to finance more than 100,000 housing units since it began operation in 1968. No tax dollars were utilized to provide this information.

The West Virginia Housing Development Fund is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.