Collective housing offers unique living option

Nathan Norton
Western Herald

(Photo courtesy of Michael Gregor) A sign marks the KCH Meristem Cooperative house.

For students looking for an alternative in housing this fall, Kalamazoo Collective Housing (KCH) offers one of the most unique options in town.

KCH is  a nonprofit organization that provides Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Western Michigan University students an alternative housing experience.

There are two houses in the Vine Street neighborhood. The first is the Meristem Cooperative, on W. Dutton Street. Since opening in 2006, the house is home to eight members and has seven bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The second KCH house is the Fletcher Collective, it houses ten members with eight bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is located between Park and Rose on W. Walnut.
The homes try to create a harmonious living environment for its residents.

These houses are member-maintained alternatives designed to promote accountability and education among its tenants through pooled resources, shared workloads, and democratic decision making.

Everyone is expected to take part in the upkeep of the house, according to members. A formal work schedule is in place that delegates particular duties on a day-to-day basis. One day someone may be scheduled to clean the bathrooms, the next day to vacuum, someone else may have to do yard work, and then be assigned to cook dinner.

To help with household jobs aside from everyday chores, each house appoints certain members to positions to take care of things like paying the bills, buying groceries, or fixing the plumbing. For example, Fletcher has a treasurer, maintenance officer, secretary, someone who buys bulk, someone else who purchases supplies, and a membership coordinator. Entrusting these important household tasks to tenants allows for things to be done in an organized and timely manner that may be lacking in other living arrangements.

With residents committed to upholding their own piece of the agreement, a tidy and well-run household is easy to maintain. But an orderly living space isn’t the only advantage to living in a cooperative environment.

James Gleghorn, membership coordinator and tenant at Fletcher mentioned that he and a few other members of his house had a fun time installing a new floor in their attic.

“An advantage for me living in this house is I get to practice a lot of things that will be useful in the future,” Gleghorn said. “Living here is a great way to get experiences that you might not be able to get living somewhere else.”

In choosing cooperative living, not only do tenants gain valuable home maintenance and team building skills, but also have a voice in how the house is run.

“Living in cooperative housing, you have more control over your living situations,” said Michael Gregor, who lived for three years in Meristem and is on the board of directors and as a treasurer. “The members have a say in the budget or house rules — things you don’t get a choice on in a residence hall.”

Control over living conditions translates into the cost of living. Each resident pools their finances to help pay for food, utilities, supplies like laundry detergent and soap, and rent. For each member, the total monthly living rate amounts to about $400 for a shared bedroom and about $500 for a single bedroom.

Gregor also noted that the living expenses are lower in a cooperative home because when there is a job, it is  done in house.

“There’s no housekeeping or cooking staff to pay,” Gregor said. “We do the work ourselves.”

In cooperative conditions, decisions are made through a democratic process. When a member has an issue they would like addressed, they bring it to a house meeting. After the concern or idea has been communicated, members vote with a show of thumbs; thumbs up for yea, thumbs down for nay, and sideways if the member consents, but would like it recorded that he or she has reservations about the decision.

The time spent at the houses is not just work. Members also take turns planning various community events. Meristem holds a monthly potluck for friends, neighbors, family, and anyone interested in learning about cooperative housing. It is a time to get together for good food and good times.

The next Meristem potluck is scheduled for June 10 at113 West Benton in Kalamazoo at 7 p.m.

Fletcher hosts a number of free basement concerts every year. In the past, local bands and groups from Ann Arbor, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, and Chicago have performed. The bands booked are of varying styles and sounds, ranging from thrashing metal to danceable techno.

KCH hopes to be able to purchase more property for additional houses, as well as get involved with multi-unit housing for cooperatively operated apartments.

Currently, the Meristem house is looking for one new member for a summer lease and four additional boarders for a full year’s lease (August 2009 through August 2010). Fletcher has three empty
summer leases to fill. There are no restrictions on becoming a tenant in one of the houses.

If you’re interested in becoming a member or have any questions about Kalamazoo Collective Housing, you can contact Michael Gregor at Michael@kalamazoo.coop or 793-9172 or James Gleghorn at jryven@gmail.com or (616) 446-6487. You can also find more information online at www.kzoocoop.org.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on May 27 2009. Filed under Campus, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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