August 20, 2025

Showing off a Birdhouse created by artist Ben Colbert from a past PCH celebration, Princeton residents Charlie Yedlin and Sheila Nall are leading Princeton Community Housing’s newest “Birdhouse Project” that celebrates two milestone anniversaries in 2025. Both Yedlin and Nall dedicated their careers to building and designing homes and commercial spaces and are passionate about ensuring that everyone has a safe, welcoming, and affordable place to call home.

PRINCETON COMMUNITY HOUSING (PCH) LAUNCHES ‘THE BIRDHOUSE PROJECT’ TO ELEVATE MAJOR MILESTONES IN 2025

Community is our middle name.

Princeton Community Housing is marking two major milestones in 2025: the 50 50th anniversary of Princeton Community Village, the organization’s first community developed and opened in 1975, and the 40th anniversary of Elm Court, which welcomed its first residents in
1985. To celebrate, PCH is launching “The Birdhouse Project”, a creative and fun way to share the organization’s origin story, highlight its commitment to housing action, and the need for more affordable housing. Today, the state of New Jersey faces a severe shortage of 200,000 to 300,000 affordable homes. In addition to developing and managing affordable homes, a major focus of PCH is its focus on advocacy efforts.

Specifically, The Birdhouse Project is a campaign to design and build one-of-a-kind birdhouses and display them around town beginning this summer. PCH is inviting design and construction professionals in the sector to create the birdhouses. They will be displayed outdoors at one of several locations in town for a twelve-month period. The birdhouses will feature signage with information about the builders, sponsors and hosts, including a QR code for viewers to read more about the entry on PCH’s website.

These special birdhouses will also be exhibited on the grounds of PCH’s original founding “community partners”, the organizations that assisted in launching PCH in its early days, and helped develop the PCH communities. These communities now include Princeton Community Village, Elm Court, Griggs Farm, and Harriet Bryan House. Today, more than 1,100 people reside in PCH homes.

Princeton residents Charlie Yedlin and Sheila Nall are serving as the lead Ambassadors for The Birdhouse Project. Both worked for decades in the building sectors. Charlie Yedlin, a longtime PCH volunteer and owner of the Yedlin Company, has decades of experience in construction.

When invited to help lead the project, he didn’t hesitate.

“At PCH, there’s a long tradition of building Birdhouses, largely as fundraisers” explains Yedlin, “we thought that we could expand on that idea by displaying the creations around town for the public to enjoy and showcase the remarkable talents we have here in Princeton in the building and design trades.” Yedlin served on PCH’s Capital Campaign committee, which raised funds to build the new Jim and Fannie Floyd House at Princeton Community Village that opened in 2023.

Yedlin is joined by Sheila Nall, a retired interior designer and podcaster, who was glad to pitch in with the project. “There is no question that we need to do more to address the housing shortage and raise awareness. PCH has an amazing history worth celebrating – all of us in Princeton are lucky to have a nonprofit with its track record in this community, adding to the town’s strength and vibrancy. We’re excited to include many of our colleagues in the housing and construction industry in this effort – and look forward to seeing their contributions!”

To date, several designers and builders have signed up for the project, including C & C Construction Management, Inc., JZA+D, the Princeton Design Guild, Mercer General Works, and KSS Architects.   Justin Tree Services has donated its services to install the birdhouses over the summer.  

To learn more, please call Kate Bech, Director of Mission Advancement, at 609-924-3822 x6 or email katebech@pchhomes.org. Members of the community who wish to invest in quality, affordable homes and services for Princeton residents may donate online at www.pchhomes.org.

###

 
About Princeton Community Housing
Princeton Community Housing provides, manages and advocates for affordable, safe and well-maintained homes, offering all people the opportunity to build more productive and fulfilling lives. It was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1967 by a group of community leaders to support a balance of housing opportunities. Today, it provides and manages almost 500 affordable and well-maintained rental homes for individuals, families, seniors, and people with disabilities with very low-, low-, and moderate- incomes. PCH also provides supportive services to all its residents through its partnerships with local agencies and nonprofit organizations and through the employment of two social services coordinators, both licensed social workers.
Services include meal preparation and food delivery, essential transportation for seniors, health screenings, financial counseling and so much more. More than 1,000 residents, 3% of the Princeton population, reside in PCH homes.

By Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, AIA NJ Advocacy Consultant | Posted in Members & the Community | Tagged: #PrincetonCommunityHousing, #PrincetonNJ, #TheBirdhouseProject | Comments (0)