Programs

For Youth

Depaul USA currently has two programs focused on addressing youth homelessness

Dax Program

Depaul USA established the Dax Program in 2015, in partnership with DePaul University, to address the issue of college homelessness. The Program has since expanded to Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles. It houses students from 15 local universities.

The Dax program provides students with the following:

Safe and affordable housing
Book stipends, tutoring, and transportation assistance
Essential needs assistance, including food, clothing, and hygiene supplies
Physical and mental health support
Career employment assistance
Career Counseling & leadership development opportunities
Budgeting and life skills workshops

The Dax program has three primary goals:

Obtain employment and increase earnings potential.

75% of participants will have increased income through employment.
90% of residents will maintain progress towards college graduation.

Improve connections made to behavioral and physical health services.

50% of residents will receive primary care services in the first six months.
80% of residents with identified behavioral health needs will be connected to community services.

Increase housing stability.

95% of residents will exit to permanent housing.

Read the comprehensive Dax Program guide here!

Click to download

Across 4 cities, homeless and housing insecure college students shared their perspectives and experiences on employment and career readiness. To better understand how to serve them, read our report and evaluation here.

St. Lazare House

Depaul USA opened the St. Lazare House in St. Louis to house homeless youth ages 18-24. This program provides 15-units of permanent supportive housing for disabled, single, unaccompanied and chronically homeless youth. The end goal is for tenants to move into permanent housing of their own to become contributing members of the community.

Services provided include:

On-site programing
Community-based instruction
Connecting to community resources
Acquiring employment
Applying for benefits and connection to health care
Recovery and community support services

Brian

“Since moving into St. Lazare House, I have maintained employment for over six months, which is a huge achievement for me. In the past, I have only held a job for a month or less. I moved into St. Lazare House a year ago and feel much more secure and stable. I no longer have to move from place to place and worry about where I will sleep or eat. I am thankful to St. Lazare and the staff here. Most of all, I am proud of myself and how far I have come in only one year.”