Menno House has provided long-term housing for Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) volunteers working in New York. We currently offer up to two years’ housing for people who want to live in an urban, faith-based community while pursuing service opportunities or educational and vocational goals consistent with the values of Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship (MMF), which owns the house.

Medium-term residencies last one to three months; long-term residencies last three months to one year, with the option to reapply for a second year. People in church ministry may be granted residency beyond two years.

Selection process

Selecting house residents is exclusively the responsibility of the Menno House board, a committee appointed by MMF. Rooms are offered to applicants who demonstrate a commitment to group living, serving the wider community and building a relationship with MMF. Residents are expected to agree to and abide by our Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Policy.

A residency application form can be obtained from, and submitted to, the house manager by using the contact information at the bottom of this page. The manager keeps all completed applications on file until a room becomes available. At that time, the board meets, reviews all pending applications, and invites new residents to fill the open spaces.

There are many more people we would like to house than our space allows, and vacant resident rooms are scarce. We encourage applicants to pursue other housing options and think of an offer from Menno House as a nice surprise.

Facilities

Currently, Menno House accommodates about a dozen residents who live in the top two floors of the building. Each floor has a single shared bathroom, and some of the rooms also have sinks. The rooms are priced according to size, ranging from $830 per month (16 x 13 feet) to $550 per month (11 x 6 feet, plus a loft), subject to annual rate adjustments.

The second floor contains three guest rooms, reserved nightly by visitors to New York City and others in need of temporary lodging. MMF keeps its church office on the second floor, which also houses the Peace and Anabaptist Library.

Common areas are downstairs. There is a large kitchen with cupboards for each resident, a small dining room that contains four refrigerators, a living room, and a closet with laundry facilities. Behind the house is a quiet garden where we grow flowers and herbs and host cookouts.

A resident manager helps to maintain the property, coordinate use of the guest rooms and handle finances. However, house residents are expected to take turns cleaning their bathroom and the kitchen, to be generous with visitors, and to build relationships with their housemates and MMF.