Our Houses

Our Houses The Minnesota Students' Cooperative (MSC) owns and operates five homes on Cleveland Avenue N., across the street from the University of Minnesota Saint Paul Campus, in Saint Paul, MN.  These are rooming houses.  Our Sustainability Committee continues to refine plans to reduce our operation costs and increase resident comfort.  All residents are by definition MSC Members that collectively own the MSC and elect representatives to invest all our rents toward sustaining our collective homes. MSC delivers the best value to diverse residents by maintaining necessary facilities at rates that enable residents to afford what they specifically need here. MSC merely facilitates transfer of useful items left for future residents, and an informal volunteer community helps meet needs for shopping carpools and person to person sharing.

Electric, heat, water, basic toiletries, and local phone service are provided free with rent. Bedrooms are private, and we all get refrigerator space > 8cu.ft./bedroom and assigned cabinets to keep things in the kitchen etc. The kitchen, laundry facilities, living room, storage room, porches are all shared within the household.  We also share among houses; one may use an available laundry machine, shower, or telephone next door if needed.  This is notably the case for Castle & Litla Hús where there is no phone line nor laundry machine. 

Rather than raise everyone's rent to subsidize amenities used only by a few, MSC charges monthly fees for off-street parking, a window AC unit (or in room refrigeration heat pump), and various services that most residents plan not to needs. House Funds allotted from rent for supplies on a per person bases limit house discretionary spending, yet allow independent decisions of what residents value and let frugal houses save over years for better equipment, improvements, and expenses not prioritized by a BOD. The tragedy vs. miracle of the commons depends on personal honor to not waste utilities, honestly report extra amenities used and to clean up after ourselves & our guests.

Residents who clean & paint their own room and get approvals from each house, can transfer among bedrooms at no extra cost and even share a bedroom at times as their financial and accommodation needs change.