Community of Urbana-Champaign Cooperative Housing (COUCH)

Formed: 1997 Established: 1997

This page last updated:4/20/2007

Champaign-Urbana, Illinois,

United States

COUCH is the Community of Urbana Champaign Cooperative Housing and is an umbrella organization linking co-op houses in the Champaign-Urbana area, home of the University of Illinois. COUCH co-ops offer both students and non-students affordable, highly social, and democratically run housing options. Our co-ops operate on the Rochdale Principles of Cooperation (ICA Revision 1995) and emphasize consensus voting. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian houses are available, and regular house dinners are central to the social functioning of every co-op. Each of our houses has developed its own set of house rules and a unique house culture, but all are united under COUCH and NASCO, the North American Students of Cooperation.

Website: http://www.couch.coop/

Contact:

505 W Green St
Urbana, Illinois 61801 United States
Phone: 217-355-4628, 217-531-0553

Links:

COUCH: House Overview: An overview of our co-op houses with links to each co-ops web page

Nasco Properties: The North American Students of Cooperation, to which COUCH belongs

Community location is placed at the center of the zip/postal code, city/state, or city/country (not based on street addresses)

This page last updated:4/20/2007

Visitors Accepted

Visitor Process: Contact Liesel Hess, COUCH's Vice President of Outreach, to set up a time to visit some of our co-op houses. Email lieselkh7 [at) hotmail (dot] com

Affiliations: Inter-Cooperative Council (ICC-Michigan)

:: Inter-Cooperative Council (ICC-Texas)

:: Nickel City Housing Cooperative

:: North American Students of Cooperation

:: Qumbya Co-op

:: Santa Cruz Student Housing Cooperative

:: Student Cooperative Organization (SCO)

Statement of Housing Non-discrimination:

No Answer Provided

Population Members(adults and children): 42 Non-member Residents: 0 Open to new members: Yes	Government Decision Making: By a group of elders or other leaders Identified Leader: Yes (COUCH Board President, Chris Maffeo) Leadership Core Group: Yes (COUCH Executive Board and House Representatives)	Labor and Money Financial Style: Members have independent finances (Varies by house) Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt: Yes Labor Contribution: Expected (Cooking and chores are shared equally; house maintenance projects shared equally) Join Fee: No (All fees are included in the rent) Regular Fees: No (COUCH is non-profit; just rent and improvement funds set at house level)
Land and Buildings Urban Land Owned By: Another form of Non-profit (Two houses are owned by NASCO Properties, but COUCH leases two houses from private landlords) Number of Residences: 4 Cohousing: No	Food, etc. Share Community Meals: Nearly all dinners (Each house has its own house dinners. COUCH has monthly inter-house potlucks as well.) Dietary Choice or Restrictions: There are some dietary restrictions (Some houses are strictly vegetarian, some are less strict, one is not vegetarian at all) Dietary Practice: Primarily vegetarian (We only have one non-vegetarian house) Alcohol Use: Seldom used Tobacco Use: Seldom used (Prohibited inside the houses)	Social Factors Common Spiritual Practices: No

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