Always Home
1/24/2025
Dax House at UMSV
This story originally appeared in the 2024 Annual Report.
The University of Mount Saint Vincent is no stranger to addressing the stark reality of homelessness in the college-aged population. In support of this cause, the Mott Street Scholarship Program was established at the Mount in 2016 to provide comprehensive assistance to young people who have aged out of foster care or have triumphed over childhood homelessness. The Mott Street Scholarship encompasses full tuition coverage and year-round housing in our residence halls, ensuring a supportive and nurturing environment for those in need.
True to the Vincentian tradition, Depaul USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the homelessness epidemic in the United States, inspired by the wisdom of our shared namesake, Saint Vincent de Paul, who studied at a college in the small town of Dax in France. Since 2009, Depaul USA has provided homelessness services to men, women, and children seeking supportive, temporary, or affordable housing across twelve major cities—including housing projects like Dax House, which directly addresses college and university student housing insecurity.
In a collaborative effort to further support Mount students facing housing insecurity—but who may not have had to face such struggles as childhood homelessness or the constraints of the foster care system—a Dax House was established at the University in partnership with Depaul USA and the Sisters of Charity of New York just this past Summer. This initiative provides low-cost, short-term and long-term housing for up to eight female students in their junior and senior years at the Mount in Dax House, located on the first floor of Rosary Hall on the Riverdale campus.
Matthew Janeczko, CEO and President of the Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corporation (SCHDC), had been searching for a location for the first Dax House in the Bronx for five years before he stumbled upon Rosary Hall.
“We looked at old convents and other buildings in Riverdale trying to find the perfect location,” Matthew said. “The Mount has always positioned itself as a place where everyone is welcome. And after speaking with the Sisters of Charity, the first floor of Rosary Hall seemed like the perfect fit.”
Right across from the Convent and adjacent to the Great Lawn on the Mount’s campus, the space used to serve as a residence for Sisters. With plenty of empty storage space, a kitchen, and a living room to meet—and permission from Donna Dodge, SC, President of the Sisters of Charity—the space was transformed into residential apartments and renamed ‘Dax House.’ Students living in Dax House must work at least 10 hours each week, pay a nominal fee in rent each month, and meet with their resident in-house manager on a routine basis. The goal of the Dax House program is to set these students up for success, while also preparing them for their future post-graduation.
To participate in the program, students must follow specific criteria, which includes adhering to Dax House guidelines and having enrollment in good standing at the Mount. Housing is offered to students year-round and continues for three months after graduation to give recent graduates time to secure permanent jobs and find stable housing.
What if a graduate does not find secure housing in the three months following graduation? Well, Dax House and the University will continue to work with them on a case-by-case basis until they do.
“The reality is that there are a lot of college students who are able to attend college with Pell Grants, loans, financial aid, and academic scholarships, but none of that provides them with the ability to live,” Matthew continued. “Dax House enables these driven students to have a place to live while getting their education, while also saving money.”
The opening of Dax House—which was officially celebrated with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on August 13—has given the Mount the opportunity to give young women the ability to complete their degree in an environment that supports their studies and launch careers that will provide them and their families with the economic and social mobility only a post-secondary degree can offer. Gabrielle Occhiogrosso, EdD, Dean of the Undergraduate College, will oversee Dax House placement for Mount students.
“Housing insecurity for our Mount students takes many forms,” shared President Susan R. Burns. “For some, it might mean sleeping in a car or a shelter. For others, it might mean a one-bedroom apartment that is shared by six, ten, or even twelve family members. But no matter the specific situation, any student facing housing insecurity shares in the same struggle: an environment that is not conducive to studying and success within and beyond the classroom.”
In 1998, the SCHDC was established in support of the Sisters’ mission to help provide housing for those in need. Dax House at Rosary Hall provides students with just that—along with various services that support a successful path toward the continuation and completion of their degree, including textbook assistance and counseling referrals. The University of Mount Saint Vincent aspires to sustain and expand this program to cater to the needs of both current and potential male students in the future.
“The Sisters of Charity have always responded to the needs in front of them,” added Matthew. “There was a need for education, so they opened schools. There was a need for healthcare, so they opened hospitals. There was a need for orphanages, so they opened orphanages. The easiest way to be homeless in New York City is to have been homeless once. So, we created a place where these students can live, be supported, finish their education, graduate, and move on.”
Aside from living and attending classes at the Mount, students in Dax House have also been welcomed into a family of their own, in a place where they can feel at home. Several Sisters of Charity live on the second floor of Rosary Hall, and they have graciously opened the first floor of their home to the needs of these driven young women.
“The Sisters are sharing their home, but they’re also sharing much more than that,” said Samantha Walker, Chief Program Officer for the SCHDC. “They’re lending a helping hand and supporting them so when they’re ready to be on their own, they have the foundation needed to succeed.”
Celebrating the potential of every person in this way is integral to the mission and values of all organizations involved: Depaul USA, the Sisters of Charity, and the University of Mount Saint Vincent. The University is forever indebted to the courage and spirit of the Sisters and is committed to carrying out their legacy through our partnerships and shared ministries in the decades to come.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers a nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the University equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment, and leadership in the 21st century.