Princeton Community Housing (PCH) has just released its annual report for the year 2012. While the good news is that the organization and its goals have the support of the Princeton community, the need for more affordable accommodation, particularly in the downtown area, continues to grow.

The report shows an increasing demand for affordable housing as well as longer waiting times for would-be tenants. Currently there are 800 households on the PCH waiting list. “Most of these people have some connection to Princeton, said PCH Executive Director Ed Truscelli, “either they work in the town or they have family living here.”

Besides a call to action by Mr. Truscelli, the report describes the Princeton-based nonprofit’s collaboration with community partners to purchase and renovate homes, including the former Borough of Princeton, which resulted in two new affordable rentals on Shirley Court in the Witherspoon Street neighborhood.

“The generous community support we received in 2012 was instrumental in helping us to increase the number of rental opportunities in town,” said Mr. Truscelli. “We can’t do this alone and we are looking for ways to develop more opportunities in the downtown area. More affordable homes closer to the center of town would allow people to walk to places like the University, the library and shops,” he said.

PCH has been providing, managing and advocating for affordable housing in Princeton for 46 years. An architect who has worked in the field for most of his career, Mr. Truscelli has been PCH’s executive director since July 2012. The Hopewell Valley resident finds his architectural and design skills invaluable in his current role.

In addition to raising money for homes such as those on Shirley Court, the organization acts as an administrative agent for organizations such as Princeton University, making sure that tenants meet government requirements as specified by the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH).

COAH was created by the state in response to the Fair Housing Act of 1985 and is responsible for ensuring that all of the state’s municipalities provide a fair share of low and moderate income housing. Tenants qualify on the basis of income.

PCH was founded in 1967, long before the creation of COAH, by volunteers and local sponsoring organizations wishing to ensure a balance of housing opportunities essential to a thriving and economically diverse Princeton. The organization owns and manages 467 affordable rental homes.

This month, PCH is moving its offices from 245 Nassau Street to the former Borough Town Hall, now known as Monument Hall, where it will join a nexus of organizations serving the municipality, such as the departments of affordable housing, health and human services, TV 30, and Corner House. “We’ll be up and running there by mid-December and completely settled in by the start of the new year,” said Mr. Truscelli.

As a response to the increase in the number of applications for affordable units and longer waiting times for applicants, the PCH report calls for “continued community action,” “more affordable units,” and “additional services.”

The report also details programs and services offered to residents in two senior affordable communities on Elm Road, Elm Court and Harriet Bryan House, as well as in Princeton Community Village, off Bunn Drive, and in Griggs Farm, off Cherry Valley Road.

For more information on affordable housing in Princeton, including locations, eligibility criteria, application forms and the 2012 Annual Report, visit: www.princetoncommunityhousing.org.