Princeton Renames Body Formed By Consolidating Boards & Commission

PRINCETON, NJ – The Council on Monday adopted an ordinance that changes the name of "Advisory Committee on Affordable Housing, Human Services, and Racial, Social and Economic Equity" to the "Committee on Affordable Housing, Racial, Economic, Social Equity and Services" (aka The CARES Advisory Committee).

The name change comes after the Municipality consolidated the Civil Rights Commission, Human Services Commission, and the Affordable Housing Board into one entity.

Councilwoman Eve Niedergang said the committee is going to be incredibly successful and praised the chair and members of the committee for going out into the public and talking about what they’re doing.

Councilwoman Leticia Fraga gave credit to the vice chair of the committee, Ari Meisel for coming up with the inclusive name, and praised the members for their work.

“Several members of the committee are very engaged,” Fraga said. “We are very excited about what they’re working on, and what I know is going to be providing very positive results for our community.”

Back in January, the proposal to consolidate the two commissions and one board was met with much criticism. Many community members felt the streamlining of all three into one entity would disenfranchise a large number of people.

During the council meeting, Councilman Leighton Newlin spoke about the issue again, noting that it was brought up last week during a candidate forum.

The forum was held as part of the Witherspoon-Jackson Joint Effort Princeton Safe Streets Summer Program.

He said that someone on a panel alluded to councilmembers “killing or getting rid of the Civil Rights Commission.”

“When I had the opportunity, I made it clear to the people that were at the First Baptist Church in Princeton and the community at large that this body did not dismantle, kill or turn our backs on civil rights, human services or affordable housing,” Newlin said.

“What we did was identify a problem that we were having. We identified that they were not doing the job we intended them to do, that they were working in silos. And we sought to correct that and thereby develop the CARES committee.”

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