Where is the office and what are the hours?
The office is located in the Lorax Manner behind the kitchen. Just knock and ask someone to show you where it is. In a usual week someone is here Monday through Thursday 1:00 - 5:30

How do I know if the co-ops are right for me?
The best way to see if the co-ops are a good fit for you is to come take a tour of the house. You can set up a time with Amy (scaoffice.recruitment@gmail.com) or just stop by and introduce yourself. Come by around 6:00 Sundays through Friday and we'll even feed you dinner. It is difficult to try to describe the unique vibe of the co-ops, and each house is a little different so you just have to investigate a little. We'd love to meet you.

Who can be a member?
Anyone who is a student at the University of Oregon, Lane Community College, or another institute of higher learning.

What is the membership process like?
After an application is complete, it goes to the membership committee for review. Since this requires house participation and is a group decision, it may take a couple weeks. During this time we highly encourage you to come over as much as you want to meet some of the current membership, because your application can really only tell us so much. Applications are considered when openings are available; when there are no open spots we will keep your application on file  up to a year and notify you when a spot opens up. Gender balance and other house-specific needs are taken into consideration when accepting new members. 

Who do we want to live with?
We want to live with people who see this place as an opportunity to be involved in a community built from diverse people. We want people who will be active in our community and not just live here because the rent is cheap. We favor applicants who are interested in cooperative life and have the ability to work in a cooperative manner and are involved in their community or school. 

What is boarding?
A boarder is a person who contributes to the food budget to eat at the co-ops but does not live on the premises. Boarding is a good way to get to know the community if you are interested but not sure you want to join the co-ops without getting to know them better first. This is also a good option for if you love us and wish you could live here but are locked into a lease. You can find a link to the application back on the home page.

What is covered in the term fees?
Term fees cover not only your room, but a full kitchen stocked with organic local food, all the utilities and internet, and amenities such as toothpaste, shampoo etc. Plus: public use computers, indoor bike storage and work area, art and screen printing supplies, black and white darkroom, band room, a piano and organ.

Do the houses allow pets?
The Campbell Club allows cats, but the Lorax and the Janet Smith are usually pet free, excepting small caged critters.

Do the houses have internet?
Yes, all three houses are covered with wireless internet and has hookups to plug into.

Are the houses wheelchair accessible?
The Campbell Club and the Janet Smith houses are wheelchair accessible with first floor bedrooms.

Will I have a roommate?
There are two doubles in the Lorax and three in the Campbell Club. Usually we have singles available for anyone who wants them, though sometimes the only spots available are in doubles. Living in a double is around $270 cheaper a term. People interested in living in a double will usually have the chance to meet potential roommates and decide if they are a good match before moving in. Members living in a double can put their names on the wait list for a single if they desire.

How big are the rooms?
Each room is a little bit different in size and style. A typical single is somewhere around 10ft by 10ft or thereabouts. In the Campbell Club there are 6 wing rooms, which are smaller rooms and about $160 cheaper per term.

Will my room be furnished?
Yes, each room comes with a mattress, desk, dresser and chair. Most of the rooms have built in closets as well. There is also lots of furniture to be found in and around the houses that is up for grabs.

Is it noisy?
All three houses have the capacity to be loud at times, though the Janet Smith not as bad. It can get wild but our houses have a basic code of respect: if someone is playing their music too loud while you are trying to sleep, if ask them to turn it down they usually will. Besides this, we are all students after all so we all have to study sometime. 

Are the co-ops safe?
The co-op itself is very safe. As a well-lit building with numerous people constantly around, it's a very poor place for any kind of violent crime. Theft is rare, although every once in a while things go missing from common rooms. We're 95% of the way to having a place where you never need to lock your door, but with the amount of member turnover we have there are always bound to be a few people who act badly. People will inevitably leave the external doors open for ventilation when the weather is nice, but it's important to keep them closed at night!

How much work do I have to do?
Part of cooperative living is sharing the work necessary to keep the house running. Some of this work keeps our costs down (like doing most of our building maintenance ourselves), but in general the purpose is to employ division of labor to reduce the amount of work that everybody has to do. The usual load is between 6 - 8 hours a week, plus 10 hours of permanent improvement to the house over the course of the term.

What are my other responsibilities as a member?
Members are also required to come to house meetings once a week and encouraged to come to the tri-house meetings. Members are expected to participate in the community and work to make communal living successful in their houses, as well as live respectfully and cooperatively. And of course, we'd like you to pay your rent on time.

I've never lived in a co-op before, how social do I have to be?
It's all up to you. You can make friends with your entire house, get involved in organizing co-op activities and creating useful stuff for the house, eat dinner surrounded by people every day, and chat with your housemates deep into the night. If this doesn't sound like something you are interested in doing, I would think twice about why you want to live here. You can simply do your jobs, pay your fees, attend meetings and just get on with your life outside the co-op. You'll need to be able to act civilly towards a large and diverse group of neighbors, but beyond that you're free to do as you please. Like a lot of co-ops, we have a lot of shared space and a good, friendly community. But unlike a lot of them, we also have private space and are used to people who would prefer to keep to themselves.

What about parking?
Parking around the University can be tricky. We have a couple spots between the Campbell and the Lorax, and a few at the Janet Smith reserved for co-opers. If these are filled, there is some free parking on 16th and 17th (careful, it is mixed with 2 hour zones) and further down 19th, on Kincaid and Alder.