As a Vincentian university, St. John’s strives “to provide an excellent education for all people, especially those lacking economic, physical, or social advantages.”
With this in mind, the University recently announced the establishment of Depaul USA’s Dax Program at St. John’s, a bold initiative that provides low-cost housing for some of the most vulnerable students—those experiencing housing insecurity.
“We are thrilled that the Dax Program is now available to St. John’s students,” said Kathryn T. Hutchinson, Ph.D., Vice President for the Division of Student Affairs. “This significantly augments the resources available to students and is a wonderful complement to the emergency aid program that has been in place on campus for years.”
In a recent survey of more than 1,100 St. John’s students, The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice found that 26 percent of respondents experienced housing insecurity in the previous year, and 11 percent experienced homelessness during the same period.
“We were aware that there was a population of students at St. John’s that were housing insecure or homeless. and we decided we wanted to help that population,” explained Charles W. Levesque, President and Executive Director, Depaul USA, the organization behind the Dax Program. “The goal of the program is to stabilize the students by providing them with housing. We know if they graduate, they can be connected to the world of work, and they…
