Menno House: Affordable, Inclusive Boarding in Manhattan

Menno House occupies a building bought by Mennonite members of a Historic Peace Church in 1957 to house conscientious objectors serving alternative service. In the 1980s residents formed the Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship (MMF), which purchased the property in 1997 and began operating it as a guest house.

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The ten-person residence rents rooms from $582 to $881 per month, far below Manhattan’s average rent of $4,173. Leases run three months to one year, with the option to reapply for additional terms.

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Menno House is co-ed and LGBTQ+-affirming. The residence’s website emphasizes that the community values diversity across race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, health, education, and relationship status. The fellowship’s confession of faith states that all people are created in the image of God and welcomes participants from any faith background.

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Each floor has a single shared bathroom; long-term residents use a common kitchen, dining room, living room, and a garden for herbs, flowers, and cookouts. Residents rotate bathroom and kitchen cleaning and perform a deep-cleaning task every six weeks. A resident manager oversees maintenance, guest-room coordination, and finances.

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MMF’s public communications emphasize tolerance, creativity, and a community ethos that encourages questioning, artistic expression, and mutual compassion. Services are open to anyone interested in the congregation, and membership is granted through choice and contribution to the fellowship’s work.

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Rent ranges from $582 to $881 per month for ten residents. The building was acquired in 1957 and purchased by MMF in 1997. Guests have come from at least 15 countries, including New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, England, Romania, Slovakia, Colombia, Argentina, Indonesia, Korea, Nigeria, South Africa, Japan, and others.

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• “It was the cheapest place I found in Manhattan,” — Hannah Keziah Austin, NYU graduate, resident.

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• “We affirm all people as created in the image of God. We wish for our congregation to be a community where people can ask questions, offer creativity, and extend compassion and forgiveness to each other as we journey together,” — MMF website.

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• “We are enriched by diversity in race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, physical and mental health, education, economic standing, and relationship status.” — Menno House website.

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• “Guests arrive from all over the world, including New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, England, Romania, Slovakia, Colombia, Argentina, Indonesia, Korea, Nigeria, South Africa, Japan, and many more,” — Menno House website.

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Menno House anticipates opening additional slots in June and August 2027, continuing its mission to provide affordable, inclusive housing within Manhattan’s high-cost rental market.

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