It might seem like an oxymoron: poverty in Princeton. The city is home to one of the world’s most prestigious universities, but the mayor told an NJTV In Your Neighborhood forum that subsidies pay for 10 percent of the housing, and free and reduced lunch goes to 12 percent of public school students.
“I think it’s especially challenging to be poor in a place like Princeton when you’re surrounded by so much wealth,” said Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert.
The mayor says a wealth of caring and sharing. For instance, fundraising sends kids to school fed by targeting weekend food insecurity.
“As a community we come together and say this isn’t right,” Lempert said.
The faith community counts itself as a partner through programs such as Arm In Arm— supplying meals, training for jobs and helping homeowners avert foreclosure.