In cooperative housing — more commonly known as “co-ops” — moving in is more than signing a lease; it’s an invitation to join a community. 

A co-op is a communal living setup where residents divide household chores and resources to maintain the home while connecting with others who share similar interests. The living format also provides an option for affordable housing and a lifestyle that fosters teamwork.

The Champaign-Urbana area is home to 10 co-ops, which house University students and community members alike. Squirrel City co-op, located at 505 S. Race St. in Urbana, shows just how important a sense of community can be.

“Since living here, I’ve heard people say, ‘Oh, that sounds a lot like a fraternity or sorority,’ and that’s interesting to me because before living here, I hadn’t really considered that,” said Pomona Carrington-Hoekstra, current resident of the Squirrel City co-op. “I think people are joining co-ops for a similar reason.”

While members form lasting friendships and practical skills within their house, they’re also given opportunities to connect with other co-ops in the area. The co-op community will often come together for social events, including hikes, house shows and volunteer initiatives.

“If you are interested in community organizing, this is a great first step,” said Olivia Webb, former seven-year resident of Squirrel City. “If anybody feels invested in a cause, they automatically have a network of people that can mobilize.” 

The idea of community living means residents must also contribute to the house — a trade-off of sorts.

To upkeep a home full of people, several tasks have to be done. The system of responsibilities is laid out on a whiteboard, which hangs in the dining room of the Squirrel City home.

The chore system is designed to ensure that all members have a manageable number of tasks, preventing anyone from being overburdened. The process makes it so residents can limit time spent on housework and focus on other priorities.

“We have our cooking, our chores and our meeting, and everything else comes from that,” Webb said. “Five days a week, we have dinner at 7 p.m. Two people cook. So one night a week, your whole evening is kind of shot, but the rest of the week you get to eat hot food made for you, and leftovers.”

Every week, the co-op residents hold a meeting where household issues and changes are discussed as a group.

“You learn how to make decisions based on consensus, and talk to other people and disagree without devolving into fights,” Carrington-Hoekstra said. “You can build up a lot of cooperation skills that translate really well, even to professional projects.” 

Co-ops also offer a financial incentive for those looking to save. By pooling resources and sharing expenses like groceries, utilities and household supplies, residents can find that their cost of living is lower compared to traditional housing.

“From an economic standpoint, it makes no sense for everyone to have their own lawnmower, right?” said Liz Clayton, current resident of Squirrel City. “If you had one shared thing amongst a group of people, that cuts down on waste. It makes you reliant on (other) people, which makes the network stronger.”

Exact rates vary depending on the house. In Squirrel City, however, members report that they save considerably living in the co-op.

“It’s so stupid easy and so stupid cheap to live in these co-ops,” Clayton said.

Application and joining

People can discover cooperative housing in a few different ways, including word of mouth or online ads. Clayton, who moved into Squirrel City last December, explained that she learned of the opportunity through an ad on Facebook.

“I was wanting to move into a house,” Clayton said. “I’ve had partners in the past who lived in co-ops, and I’ve always wanted to live in one, but I’m not a student, and I thought it was a student-only thing, and so I jumped on the opportunity.”

To join the Squirrel City co-op, prospective members go through an application process that includes emailing the membership coordinator, completing a questionnaire and attending an interview with house residents over dinner.

“When I was applying, I reached out on Facebook, but most people reach out via email. The ad had some questions I needed to answer, like if I’ve had experience living in a communal setting before,” Clayton said.

The most important part of the application process is the “dinnerview,” which allows members to assess whether or not the applicant would be a good fit for the house. The prospective member also gets a better sense of what life is like daily at the Squirrel City co-op.

“People will prepare; we have a couple of house members who have misophonia, hypersensitivity with food chewing noises or scraping of silverware,” Clayton said about the dinner interview. “Having an interview at dinner is really helpful to see if they’re compatible.” 

Though one of Clayton’s responsibilities is to serve as membership coordinator of Squirrel City, she is not the only person responsible for deciding who joins the co-op. Clayton handles the initial outreach — guiding prospective members through the application process — but the final decision is reached by all current residents following the “dinnerview.” 

“Liz is not making decisions on membership,” Carrington-Hoekstra said. “We all vote on members. Liz’s role is more of a facilitation thing, where she checks the house inbox and tells (people) whether they’re in as a member.” 

Once a new member is accepted, the residents reconvene to decide how chores will be divided among everyone. The discussion allows the new member to contribute for the first time to decisions about the home.

This process helps to maintain balance, while also making sure the household is well-kept and running smoothly. 

As C-U grows as a community and housing options change frequently, co-op living arrangements like Squirrel City offer an alternative to traditional housing. 

For students pursuing their education at the University, community members looking for a collaborative living environment or anyone seeking more than just a place to live, the co-op living format is something to research and consider based on one’s personal needs.

“Everybody should live in something like this,” Webb said. “I don’t think that everybody wants to live in close quarters with people, but what I’ve learned that’s really valuable is how important community is to everyone. It’s really valuable to have a big network of people. It changes your whole life.”

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