May 22, 2019

More Than 200 Guests Enjoyed Community Housing Gala

To the Editor:

On May 11, Princeton Community Housing (PCH) hosted our 2019 Home Springs Eternal Gala at The Boathouse at Mercer Lake, in celebration of the work of our honorees who help make Princeton a diverse and vibrant community and in support of our mission to provide additional affordable rental homes in Princeton. I am writing on behalf of the trustees and staff of PCH to extend our sincere thanks to the Princeton community for supporting the Gala and our mission.

More than 200 guests enjoyed listening to musical entertainment from Princeton’s own Sustainable Jazz and Chris Harford and The Band of Changes. Valerie Haynes, Alvin McGowen, and I proudly introduced Carol Golden, Lance Liverman, and the Borden Perlman Insurance Agency respectively, all who received service awards for their steadfast support of affordable housing to ensure that Princeton is a welcoming and inclusive community. PCH Board Chair  Van Davis, and PCH Gala Co-chairs Margaret Griffin and Daniela Bonafede-Chhabra, spoke passionately about the need for additional affordable rental homes (there are approximately 1,800 households currently on our waiting lists), the challenges in funding new affordable housing (the funds historically provided by federal and state sources are much more limited), and PCH’s plans to build 100 new affordable homes over the next five years — some of these in partnership with the Princeton Housing Authority and the municipality.

“Hope Springs Eternal,” a direct quote from Alexander Pope’s work “An Essay on Man,” refers to the faith that one holds onto during trying times. The Gala reinforced the principle that affordable rental homes in Princeton, a community with abundant resources, must continue to thrive. From the stable base that our homes provide, where a household pays no more than 30 percent of its income for rent, people have hope and a greater chance to succeed. Please visit our website (www.pchhomes.org) to learn about a few of the individuals and families whose lives have improved because of the homes and opportunities provided by PCH.

We would like to thank the many and generous sponsors, raffle prize donors, contributors of goods and services, and attendees for their support of the Gala and PCH.

Edward Truscelli
Executive Director, Princeton Community Housing