A Rent Party Benefit

Enjoy Tastes and Sounds of the African-Caribbean

Housing Initiatives of Princeton’s 6th Annual Rent Party

HONORING

Ruth Thurmond Scott

For eleven years in service as Board Chair

of Housing Initiatives of Princeton

Saturday, October 24, 2015
7:00 –10:00 pm
The Present Day Club
Princeton, New Jersey

Come join us for a fabulous African-Caribbean-themed evening with plentiful hors d’oeuvres and cocktails included. Listen to live music provided by the Shikantaza trio. Show off your best Caribbean dance moves and place your bid to win exciting experiences either for yourself or for our families as we raise the rent for HIP!

For tickets please call 609-658-0457 or 609-356-0725.

Rent parties emerged in the decades after World War I when millions of southerners, Puerto Ricans and other African-Caribbean immigrants left economic deprivation to pursue the American Dream in New York City and other cities in the industrial North. Despite their hard work, they often struggled to cover the costs of housing. When the rent fell short, many responded creatively by organizing “rent parties,” inviting friends and neighbors for an evening of food, music, and dancing. In return, guests paid an admission fee to help raise the rent.

Rent parties offer a powerful example of neighbors helping neighbors – a perfect symbol of Housing Initiatives of Princeton’s current work in the Princeton community. HIP helps low-income working families in our midst who are struggling economically to evade homelessness and chart a new and successful future for themselves and their children. While providing transitional housing and temporary rental assistance, HIP equips families with tools for self-sufficiency, acting as a bridge between homelessness and hope.