What is cooperative housing?
Typical housing in the United States involves an individual entity owning and controlling the property and leasing it out for profit to a tenant that neither owns nor controls the property. At Nickel City Housing Cooperative, everyone who lives in the house jointly owns and controls it! There are no leaders of the house, and there are no landlords (other than all of us being the collective landlord). We decide who comes we decide what we do with the house, and we make all of our decisions via consensus-based decision-making.
What is consensus-based decision-making?
A style of decision-making which has those involved in the decision-making process propose ideas together and come to either a unanimous or majority agreement on a given decision by vote. In our houses, no person calls the shots alone- we talk things through until we find the solution that best fits all of our wishes.
If we all own it but we all pay rent, then whose name is the property in?
Ok, so we do all decide how we run the house, but the house is legally directly owned by North American Students of Cooperation– basically a big co-op made up of a bunch of other co-ops like ours around the continent. It’s the mama co-op that acts as a safety net for all of the other co-ops, so when one needs support, our pooled resources go to helping that co-op, and when we need support, our NASCO friends help us out. As the legal owner, they also are the legal entity that handles some of the paperwork involved with property ownership. NASCO is a non-profit, just like Nickel City Housing Cooperative, and every other co-op gets a delegate on the NASCO board, just like we do, to decide large organizational matters based on the wishes of our co-ops’ member bodies. As such, Nickel City Housing Co-operative is part of a larger picture- as members of NASCO, we not only are co-owners of these houses, but also the other co-ops around the country!
How long does the application process take?
Due to how close-knit our community is, we have a thorough application process that gives both us an the prospective applicant time to get to know each other and determine if we’re what we’re looking for. As such, the application process takes at least a month to complete on average, and often takes more time. That being said, depending on everyone’s availability, it could take as little as <2 weeks! Upon completing the application process and being voted in as a member, you can move in as soon as you want.
Are you LGBT friendly?
Absolutely. We consider ourselves a safe space for people to exist and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, sex, race, religion, ethnicity, or any other characteristic.
Do you have a cool trailer-showcase-thing where we can learn more in a way that is not reading this page?
Why yes, we do! Note: this video is from 2019. Some things may have changed, though other things probably never will!
What payments are necessary and what are they for?
Upon moving into one of the houses there are two initial payments expected of a new member: your first month’s rent, and your member share. Your full month of rent (Big Rent) is the sum of your Room Rent (the unique monthly rate for your room) and the House Rent: $160 at Plankton and $190 at Ol’ Wondermoth.
What does my Room Rent do?
The portion of your monthly rent that we call the “Room Rent” is allocated for a few important things: it pays the mortgage on the building, and it is organized into a set of accounts which come back to us for maintenance funds. Room Rent is determined by the square footage of the room and thus varies. At Ol’ Wondermoth (208 North St) the rooms range from about $340 to $537, and Plankton’s (126 Fargo Ave) rooms range from $289 to $429.
What is the member share?
The member share is a payment which our by-laws require people to pay to the house in order to vote in meetings and hold a room in the house. This payment also acts as a security deposit and can be returned to the member upon moving out. Your member share is equal to one month’s Room Rent for your room at the time you move in.
What is included in House Rent?
House Rent gets split into paying for gas, electricity, water, phone and internet, and then the bulk and grocery shopping the house does, and then whatever we budget for beyond that. The bulk shops are usually put out every month and include necessities such as beans, vinegar, oil, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and more. The grocery shopping days vary at each house, usually weekly, made by one of the house’s appointed shoppers and include more perishable items such as produce and items that we need to hold us over till the next bulk order.
When are the meetings?
Each house holds its own meetings once a week, and both houses have a joint organizational meeting called a General Assembly four times per year. As of the time of this writing, Ol’ Wondermoth has their meetings Tuesdays at 6pm and Plankton house holds their on Tuesdays at 7pm. Attendance to the meetings is considered mandatory and a member who can not make it to one of the meetings should let the house know ahead of time.
When are potlucks?
Potlucks at Ol’ Wondermoth are monthly, typically on a Wednesday at 7pm. Plankton’s potlucks are typically monthly as well, also on Mondays, also at 7pm.
Are pets or children welcome?
Yes, the one thing to take into consideration is the fact that any children will also be a part of the community and though they don’t need to fill out a separate application we would appreciate a chance to meet them ahead of time. We also appreciate it if applicants bring over any dogs they intend to move in with. Regrettably some people have allergies to pets and we do place preference on members’ physical health over pets, so we reserve the right to refuse pets. Service animals are NOT pets and are welcome.
Are all meals vegan or vegetarian? What if I have specific dietary needs? (lactose intolerant, celiacs, etc.)
For mostly historical and logistical reasons, we collectively used to not purchase meat with house funds, though we more flexibly cater to the membership’s choices in food budgeting today, and the main dish at potlucks is still vegan/vegetarian. There is not a stigma in the house surrounding meat, eggs or dairy, however we need to be accepting and supportive of other peoples’ choices and needs. Ol’ Wondermoth had a period of time where like 6 different people were allergic to everything under the sun and it was crazy dawg, but we made it work. For this reason, we ask that an option for people with special dietary needs is served when it is your turn to cook.
Can I sublet my room?
It’s possible, but the person who would be living in the room would need to undergo the same application process and become a member.
Is there a lease required? For how long?
We require members to sign a month-to-month lease, which lays out which room you’ll be living in and the expectations of the organization. We prefer, however, that people stay at least a year.
What are the additional responsibilities of the co-op?
Members are expected to do a number of things in addition to paying rent and F&U:
- First off, attending meetings are mandatory (this includes the quarterly general assemblies).
- Secondly doing your chores is important for the happiness of the house (who wakes up happy when the bathroom is grimy?)
- We each try to take turns cooking, making sure that there’s dinner on the table most nights. (with a house full of people you usually only need to cook about twice a month).
- Additionally, members are encouraged to take on a house position or become a board member for a time. This could include things such as grocery shopper, bulk food purchaser, house or organizational treasurer, membership coordinator, or maintenance coordinator.
- Finally, the houses often host extra events such as fundraising parties and alumni weekend, which will only function if the members take on the various duties necessary such as posting fliers, standing door, tending bar, etc.
How is maintenance on the house handled?
The house has regular work holidays where the current members and guests put honest manual labor into the maintenance of the house. The maintenance coordinator is responsible for organizing tasks and securing materials. Projects that are outside our means or abilities are outsourced and paid for by NASCO using funds that we have paid in.
Can we apply as a couple?
While Nickel City Housing Co-op has no issue with two people sharing a room- we historically have at least one couple living in the co-op in any given period. We do still require that each person apply and be voted on separately, though. You can live in separate rooms, or live in a room together. In this situation, people will split the rent payment for the room in half, and each would be responsible for their own full food and utilities payment.
Is living with so many people hard? What if there’s conflict?
Living with so many people (up to 14 people at once at Ol’ Wondermoth!) can have as many challenges and as many great times as we make room for. The more people there are in the house, the lighter the work is of keeping the house running smoothly. When conflict arises, as it is bound to do- we’re all human- we navigate by communicating via the principles of non-violent communication and conflict resolution either in private or as a house as the situation calls for it. We have bi-weekly vibes meetings wherein members are encouraged to speak about their feelings of late, and to bring to light their thoughts on conflicts they may have had in the house so we can talk through them together. For more serious or extreme cases of conflict, e.g physical violence, or patterns of recurring conflicts from an individual after attempts to resolve the conflict, the house may decide to terminate an individual’s membership. All told, most people who have lived in the co-op do enjoy the experience of learning to live, share, and trust the building of a community with so many other unique people.