HeART AND HOUSING SOLUTIONS: A recent community art making event at the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP), where the ACP and Housing Initiatives of Princeton will be hosting “Home is Where the HeART Is” on September 28, an art- and dance-filled afternoon delivering a message that all families should have a place to call home. (Photo by Ananda Connolly)
By Donald Gilpin
“Home is Where the HeART Is,” on September 28 from 3 to 5 p.m., will feature a lively afternoon of art and dance, and more. The event is hosted by Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP) and the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) and focused on the theme that every family deserves a home.
ACP instructors will be leading a variety of workshops, including Screen Printing Totes with Dave DiMarchi, Sketchbooking with Jane Kunzman, Painting with Barbara DeLorenzo, and a special child-and-caregiver art project, all taking place at the ACP on Paul Robeson Place.
To finish off the afternoon, participants will be able to learn a few new dance moves with a beginner level Famenco class for all ages led by Lisa Botalico.
The ACP notes that screen printing workshop participants will be choosing a design to customize a tote bag, which they will decorate with fabric paint pens, embroidery, and other accoutrements. The sketchbooking activity will reveal the many benefits of keeping a sketchbook and making art every day, with attendees receiving an official Princeton Sketchbook Club book and an invitation to participate in a national project.
HIP, founded in 2001 and serving hundreds of Mercer County residents facing housing-insecurity, homelessness, and eviction each year, has teamed up with ACP on many innovative, highly effective programs and other initiatives over the years. The HIP-ACP “shared focus on building a thriving, inclusive community,” according to a joint HIP-ACP press release, has enhanced their partnership.
“We have a long and wonderful history of partnering with Housing Initiatives Princeton that enhances the lives touched by both of our organizations,” said ACP Director of Development and Community Engagement Liza Peck.
She continued, “Arts Council of Princeton volunteers create artwork for the walls of HIP’s transitional housing, filling these spaces with beauty, hope, and a true feeling of home. Children of all ages living in HIP’s housing participate in our art classes and summer camp workshops. We envisioned this event as a way to build community through art and at the same time raise awareness of housing solutions we can all support, so that every family has a home.”
Through their Transitional Housing Program, HIP offers access to stable housing, higher paying jobs, and deep wrap-around support to Mercer County families in need. HIP’s services include personalized support, the Eviction Prevention Program, and state and local level advocacy to bolster housing access.
HIP’s Transitional Housing assists about 30 parents and children each year, providing families with up to two years in HIP’s rent-subsidized homes supported by wraparound services — including career, education, and financial coaching; connections to jobs, healthcare, mental health, and childcare vouchers; academic and other support for children; help applying to permanent affordable housing opportunities; and any other help needed — that enable families to move on to permanent housing with long-term success.
A 2023-24 Long Term Impact Study led by Princeton University interns who interviewed program graduates from the past 13 years revealed that 92 percent of the program graduates were living in their own homes, 100 percent were employed, and 100 percent reported that they were better off financially and their children had benefited.
HIP’s Eviction Prevention Program provides rental assistance to families who have fallen behind in their rent due to a one-time emergency; provides security deposits; and works in partnership with the Princeton Housing Stability Coalition to maximize assistance through matching grants and other means.
HIP notes that in 2024 they helped 350 children and adults avoid eviction or secure a new home.
HIP Development Committee Chair Suki Wasserman reported that anticipated federal funding for the coming year had been frozen, and in addition that government programs that families have relied on, like SNAP and Medicaid, were also facing drastic cuts.
“We’re definitely feeling pressure,” she said, but she was optimistic about the possibility of increased local support.
HIP’s services are in greater demand than ever with homelessness in Mercer County at record high levels since 2023, as measured by the NJ Point in Time Count. Homelessness in the county is up 30 percent since 2023 and up 74 percent since the end of the pandemic.
For more information about the “Home is Where the HeART Is” event and registration, which is required, visit http://bit.ly/4mOLwku. A $25 admission fee includes materials, guided instruction, and snacks, but those unable to pay the fee are welcome to participate and should contact Lisa Peck at lpeck@artscouncilofprinceton.org.