On October 8, 2025 Avenue hosted its first Build Up Bash – The Rent Party at White Oak Music Hall. Over 200 supporters, community members, staff and volunteers came together to celebrate Avenue’s mission and demonstrate the importance of affordable homes for all. Through generous contributions, tickets and auction and raffle proceeds, we are thrilled to announce that we raised nearly $140,000!

Vanessa Cole of Cole Klein Builders served as our fabulous emcee and Avenue board chair Daniel Ortiz shared plans for Avenue’s next project, Independence Hall. Step Rideau & The Zydeco Outlaws had guests dancing and grooving as they bid on exciting auction items and enjoyed delicious food and curated cocktails. 

We are so grateful for the support of this event and we could not be more proud to have you all as part of the Avenue community!

Thanks to all the event sponsors and partners, donors and volunteers who helped make this event a great success!

A Modern Twist on a Powerful Tradition

The Build Up Bash pays tribute to the rent parties of 1920s Harlem, where Black residents facing steep rent and wage discrimination opened their homes, played jazz, served food, and passed a hat to help each other make the rent. These gatherings weren’t only acts of economic survival they were also hotbeds of cultural innovation, launching music careers and shaping the sound and dance of the Jazz Age. Residents found ways to support one another through music, food, and generosity.

The Need Is Urgent

In Houston, three out of four renters in Avenue’s affordable apartments earn less than 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), roughly $50,000 annually for a family of four. Meanwhile, rent continues to rise faster than wages, leaving many households one crisis away from displacement.

Funds raised at the Build Up Bash support Avenue’s work to:

• Keep rent affordable for working families
• Provide homeownership education to build long-term financial stability
• Launch a new Emergency Rental Assistance Fund to help families stay housed during temporary financial crises

For more information, contact the Office of Fund Development at events@avenuecdc.org