When people had trouble paying the rent in the early 1900s, they might hold a party in their homes, with music and dancing, and sell tickets at the door. Now, a nonprofit group is holding a modern-day version of the rent party to shine a light on the growing lack of affordable housing.
The new parties aren't exactly like the old ones, which were mostly held in Harlem. There's no dancing, food or tickets. But there is music, as was the case recently in Annapolis, Md., where about 20 people gathered in Tom Wall's small apartment to help him, and others like him, pay the rent.
Wall, 67, used to be a lawyer in the housing and finance industry. He had to quit when he had a stroke in 2011. But then he and his wife couldn't pay the mortgage on their house, and the lender moved to foreclose.
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6 comments:
I find it very sad.........that he didn't save any money for his retirement and that his own family won't help him just because he frittered all his away. So by all means let me and all the other hard working tax payers take care of him NOT
Let's see here..... the bottom dropped out of the economy, the guy had a stroke and his wife had cancer. This is not frittering away your money. These events sucked away a lot of money. You have no clue what can easily happen to people who were previously financially comfortable.
Yes. It is really sad, that it can happen to any of us...desperation is an awful place to be.
I seem to recall my mom talking about their having a rent party in the mid-1930's when her father was laid up after being hit by a car.
She also talked about mortgage parties, where people who had just paid their mortgages off would hold a neighborhood party and ceremoniously burn the mortgage papers.
7:54, could happen to any of us. I have seen very, very well prepared people go under after everything they had diligently saved and done went down the toilet due to the expenses. This is the safety net I believe in, when people have done all they can, but it's not enough. I have done all I can and if it happens to me, I pray there is someone with a heart. I have helped others out in this situation, too, the extent I could.
My parents used to have "key parties" when I was a kid, and I'd have to spend the night at my grandparents' house. I had no idea they were having trouble paying the rent back then, but that makes sense now.
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