Princeton Community Housing names new trustees, board members, and board presidents

At the recent annual meeting of the non-profit Princeton Community Housing. four new trustees were appointed to serve on the board of the Princeton Community Housing Development Corporation. Two people were elected to serve on the organization’s community board, and two new board presidents also were chosen.

New trustees include Christopher Costa of Lawrence Township, a real estate and land use attorney with Stevens & Lee; Jonah Lansky of Princeton, co-founder and deputy chief investment officer for Varadero Capital; Ashley Lyu of Princeton, community volunteer and attorney; and Merilyn Rovira of Princeton, an executive leader in the affordable housing and community development sectors.

Retired educator and longtime Princeton Community Housing Committee volunteer Jeff Hoisington of Skillman, and New Jersey Department of Health attorney Gene Rosenblum of Princeton, a Princeton Community Housing Committee member, were elected to the community board for Princeton Community Housing.

James Demetriades, CEO of Penn Medicine Princeton, was elected president of the Princeton Community Housing Development Corporation for a two-year term. Karen Jezierny, a community volunteer and retired public affairs director at Princeton University, was elected president of the Community Board to serve a two-year term. 

Kathleen “Kate” Farewell will return for another two-year term as vice president of the Princeton Community Housing Development Corporation. Karen Delk will serve as vice president of the Community Board. 

Several departing board leaders were recognized for their service, including Alice Small of Princeton, who served two terms as president of the Princeton Community Housing Development Corporation and many years as a member-at-large; Valerie Haynes of Princeton, who will remain on the Community Board but has completed two terms as its president; Richard Gittleman of Princeton, a former Princeton Community Housing Development Corporation president and longtime volunteer of 16 years; Chad Klaus of Skillman, who served both boards for almost 20 years in committee leadership roles; and Linda Meisel of Princeton, a member-at-large of the Community Board.  Elizabeth Bidwell Bates of Princeton, who retired from the board in 2023, was granted trustee emerita status and recognized for her contributions.

Founded in 1967, Princeton Community Housing provides, manages, and advocates for affordable housing, and serves more than 1,100 residents, or 3.5% of the Princeton population, in 491 affordable rental homes for singles, families, seniors, and people with disabilities, who have very low-, low-, and moderate-incomes.  Princeton Community Housing also provides supportive services through community partnerships coordinated by licensed social workers.  In 2023, Princeton Community Housing opened the Jim and Fannie Floyd House, a multi-family apartment building with 25 new affordable homes at Princeton Community Village.