October 22, 2025
The Why, What, and How of Affordable Housing
Edward Truscelli
executive Director of Princeton Community Housing
and
Merilyn Rovira
Managing Director of Impact Strategies and a Board Member of the Princeton Community Housing Development Corporation Board of Trustees
The Why, What, and How of Affordable Housing
Edward Truscelli
executive Director of Princeton Community Housing
and
Merilyn Rovira
Managing Director of Impact Strategies and a Board Member of the Princeton Community Housing Development Corporation Board of Trustees
Merilyn Rovira, Edward Truscelli, and Dick Scribner, introducer
Minutes of the Seventh Meeting of the 84th Year
President George Bustin called the meeting order. Francis Slade led the invocation. Bob Kuser introduced his guest, Tim Burman. Total attendance was 105 members.
Twenty-two applicants were unanimously approved for membership. The new members were notified by email and invited to the October 29th meeting.
Dick Scribner introduced our speakers, Edward Truscelli and Merilyn Rovira. Mr. Truscelli is in his 13th year as Executive Director of PCH. He has made significant contributions to the development of quality affordable homes in Princeton and has served as a key advisor for regulatory organizations in New Jersey and beyond. Ed is a graduate of Columbia University and earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Virginia. He is responsible for the management oversight of Princeton Community Housing
Merilyn Rovira is the Managing Director of Impact Strategies and a Board Member of the PCH Corporate Board of Trustees. Ms. Rovira has a BA in Economics, magna cum laude, from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ed Truscelli and Merilyn Rovira began by saying that goal was to demystify the “why, what, and how” of affordable housing, grounding policy and finance in the lived realities of Princeton residents.
Ed reframed the topic: Affordable housing isn’t primarily about regulations or compliance—it is about people, families, and the sense of fellowship that comes from a community where individuals at all income levels can live and participate fully. This human lens sets the tone for an otherwise highly technical subject.
He then explained what “affordable housing” means in practice. The benchmark is a household spending no more than about a third of its income on rent—typically 30%, though Princeton uses 35%. These thresholds are tied to area median income (AMI), with “low-income” referring to households below 80% of AMI and the greatest need occurring among those at roughly 30%. In New Jersey, more than half of renters exceed this affordability limit, underscoring the severity of the crisis.
Ed traced the evolution of federal housing policy, showing how, decade by decade, national responses have tended to emerge from moments of crisis rather than coherent long-term planning. From the New Deal’s mortgage programs and the GI Bill to the creation of HUD, the Fair Housing Act, and the Brooke Amendment’s 30% standard, federal housing support has grown in a fragmented way. Key tools such as Community Development Block Grants and, especially, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) have become mainstays despite limited and inconsistent funding.
New Jersey’s distinctive legal context adds another layer. The state’s affordable housing obligations originated in the Mount Laurel Doctrine, a landmark case that struck down exclusionary zoning and required every municipality to provide its “fair share” of affordable homes. The 1985 Fair Housing Act and the now-dismantled COAH agency attempted to administer this system, but enforcement has largely moved to the courts. Princeton, like other municipalities, plans its obligations in multi-year “rounds” and must maintain compliance to avoid legal vulnerabilities such as builder’s remedy lawsuits—developer-initiated challenges that can force denser projects if a town lacks an approved housing plan. Past practices like Regional Contribution Agreements, which allowed wealthier towns to offload their obligations to urban communities, have since been banned for being discriminatory.
Merilyn shifted the discussion to the economics. Because affordable rents cannot cover the real cost of constructing and operating housing, subsidies are essential. Yet, she noted, the nation’s largest housing subsidy is actually the mortgage interest deduction benefiting homeowners—especially higher-income ones—rather than renters. To make affordable housing feasible, developers rely on a complex blend of tools: LIHTC equity, federal vouchers, HOME (Home investment Partnership Program) and CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds, state trust resources, conventional loans, and local mechanisms such as inclusionary zoning or PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreements. Each project requires its own intricate “capital stack.”
The presenters then highlighted Princeton Community Housing, founded in 1967 by local civic and faith leaders committed to enabling residents of all incomes to live in Princeton. PCH owns or manages several communities—Princeton Community Village, Elm Court, Harriet Bryan House, and part of Griggs Farm, one of the region’s earliest inclusionary developments. Beyond buildings, PCH is distinguished by its supportive services: social workers, educational programs, transportation assistance, gardens, meal programs, and scholarships that help residents thrive.
Income data reveal who needs affordable housing in Princeton: Many essential workers. University staff, lab technicians, grocery workers, and service employees frequently earn between $35,000 and $45,000 a year—far below what is needed to rent market-rate housing in Princeton. Affordable homes ensure these workers, as well as long-time residents, can remain part of the community.
Looking ahead, Princeton must create 276 affordable housing credits in the upcoming Round 4 cycle. Because some types of housing earn double credit, this does not translate directly into 276 new units, but it still represents a substantial commitment. The town’s strategy includes gentle infill, nonprofit partnerships, mixed-income inclusionary projects, and entirely affordable developments.
Two major PCH projects are already in motion: the adaptive reuse of the Chestnut Street Firehouse, preserving the historic structure while adding 16 new affordable units, and the redevelopment of the John Street Public Works site, envisioned to provide 30–35 homes near schools and neighborhood amenities. The town is also exploring future possibilities at the former Westminster Choir College campus.
Despite this momentum, challenges remain: rising construction costs, the uncertainty of federal funding, scarce developable land, and community resistance to growth. Ensuring deep affordability will also require ongoing operating subsidies. Still, the presentation closed with a sense of purpose—grounded in the belief that a diverse, inclusive Princeton is both achievable and essential to the town’s civic health.
Respectfully submitted,
Ben Colbert
Twenty-two applicants were unanimously approved for membership. The new members were notified by email and invited to the October 29th meeting.
Dick Scribner introduced our speakers, Edward Truscelli and Merilyn Rovira. Mr. Truscelli is in his 13th year as Executive Director of PCH. He has made significant contributions to the development of quality affordable homes in Princeton and has served as a key advisor for regulatory organizations in New Jersey and beyond. Ed is a graduate of Columbia University and earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Virginia. He is responsible for the management oversight of Princeton Community Housing
Merilyn Rovira is the Managing Director of Impact Strategies and a Board Member of the PCH Corporate Board of Trustees. Ms. Rovira has a BA in Economics, magna cum laude, from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ed Truscelli and Merilyn Rovira began by saying that goal was to demystify the “why, what, and how” of affordable housing, grounding policy and finance in the lived realities of Princeton residents.
Ed reframed the topic: Affordable housing isn’t primarily about regulations or compliance—it is about people, families, and the sense of fellowship that comes from a community where individuals at all income levels can live and participate fully. This human lens sets the tone for an otherwise highly technical subject.
He then explained what “affordable housing” means in practice. The benchmark is a household spending no more than about a third of its income on rent—typically 30%, though Princeton uses 35%. These thresholds are tied to area median income (AMI), with “low-income” referring to households below 80% of AMI and the greatest need occurring among those at roughly 30%. In New Jersey, more than half of renters exceed this affordability limit, underscoring the severity of the crisis.
Ed traced the evolution of federal housing policy, showing how, decade by decade, national responses have tended to emerge from moments of crisis rather than coherent long-term planning. From the New Deal’s mortgage programs and the GI Bill to the creation of HUD, the Fair Housing Act, and the Brooke Amendment’s 30% standard, federal housing support has grown in a fragmented way. Key tools such as Community Development Block Grants and, especially, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) have become mainstays despite limited and inconsistent funding.
New Jersey’s distinctive legal context adds another layer. The state’s affordable housing obligations originated in the Mount Laurel Doctrine, a landmark case that struck down exclusionary zoning and required every municipality to provide its “fair share” of affordable homes. The 1985 Fair Housing Act and the now-dismantled COAH agency attempted to administer this system, but enforcement has largely moved to the courts. Princeton, like other municipalities, plans its obligations in multi-year “rounds” and must maintain compliance to avoid legal vulnerabilities such as builder’s remedy lawsuits—developer-initiated challenges that can force denser projects if a town lacks an approved housing plan. Past practices like Regional Contribution Agreements, which allowed wealthier towns to offload their obligations to urban communities, have since been banned for being discriminatory.
Merilyn shifted the discussion to the economics. Because affordable rents cannot cover the real cost of constructing and operating housing, subsidies are essential. Yet, she noted, the nation’s largest housing subsidy is actually the mortgage interest deduction benefiting homeowners—especially higher-income ones—rather than renters. To make affordable housing feasible, developers rely on a complex blend of tools: LIHTC equity, federal vouchers, HOME (Home investment Partnership Program) and CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds, state trust resources, conventional loans, and local mechanisms such as inclusionary zoning or PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreements. Each project requires its own intricate “capital stack.”
The presenters then highlighted Princeton Community Housing, founded in 1967 by local civic and faith leaders committed to enabling residents of all incomes to live in Princeton. PCH owns or manages several communities—Princeton Community Village, Elm Court, Harriet Bryan House, and part of Griggs Farm, one of the region’s earliest inclusionary developments. Beyond buildings, PCH is distinguished by its supportive services: social workers, educational programs, transportation assistance, gardens, meal programs, and scholarships that help residents thrive.
Income data reveal who needs affordable housing in Princeton: Many essential workers. University staff, lab technicians, grocery workers, and service employees frequently earn between $35,000 and $45,000 a year—far below what is needed to rent market-rate housing in Princeton. Affordable homes ensure these workers, as well as long-time residents, can remain part of the community.
Looking ahead, Princeton must create 276 affordable housing credits in the upcoming Round 4 cycle. Because some types of housing earn double credit, this does not translate directly into 276 new units, but it still represents a substantial commitment. The town’s strategy includes gentle infill, nonprofit partnerships, mixed-income inclusionary projects, and entirely affordable developments.
Two major PCH projects are already in motion: the adaptive reuse of the Chestnut Street Firehouse, preserving the historic structure while adding 16 new affordable units, and the redevelopment of the John Street Public Works site, envisioned to provide 30–35 homes near schools and neighborhood amenities. The town is also exploring future possibilities at the former Westminster Choir College campus.
Despite this momentum, challenges remain: rising construction costs, the uncertainty of federal funding, scarce developable land, and community resistance to growth. Ensuring deep affordability will also require ongoing operating subsidies. Still, the presentation closed with a sense of purpose—grounded in the belief that a diverse, inclusive Princeton is both achievable and essential to the town’s civic health.
Respectfully submitted,
Ben Colbert