October 8, 2014

Remembering Affordable Housing Advocate Who Helped Create Princeton Community Village 

To the Editor:

Our town has lost an invaluable treasure, Ted Vial, a founder and past-president of Princeton Community Housing, who passed away on September 17, 2014. As a fervent and steadfast advocate for affordable housing for Princeton’s most vulnerable citizens, Ted was a pioneer who spurred our community to do the right thing.

Starting in 1967, he and his colleagues organized the leaders of our major religious and educational institutions and led the way to create what would become Princeton Community Housing (PCH). Ted worked tirelessly with the Township Committee and the Planning and Zoning Committees, with surveyors, planners, engineers, architects, and funders to create our first community, Princeton Community Village (PCV), located at Bunn Drive and Karl Light Boulevard.

In the ensuing years Ted served as a dedicated PCH trustee and officer, working on many PCH committees and supporting the non-profit organization’s efforts to provide, manage, and advocate for affordable housing.

Today PCH is the largest provider of affordable housing in Princeton, providing rental homes for close to 1,000 people — individuals, families and seniors — in over 460 townhouses and apartments at PCV, Elm Court, Harriet Bryan House, Griggs Farm and other sites situated throughout the community.

As a conservator of PCH’s institutional memory, Ted remembered every detail of every issue over the past 47 years and could be counted on to help its board understand the complex history and background of all aspects of every affordable housing effort in Princeton.

Ted will be sorely missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to know him or to benefit from his extraordinary efforts to make Princeton a better place to live for all its citizens. The memory of Ted’s giving nature and his service to PCH and the Princeton community help ease the sadness of our loss — and inspire us all to continue our work in support of the community.

Rich Gittleman,

President

Edward Truscelli,

Executive Director, Princeton Community Housing