Bower House

  • Community
  • 2 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Urban

What we do

Bower is a co-op house that feels like a home! While it’s close enough to MSU’s campus to walk or ride a bike to class, it’s far enough away from the hustle and bustle of a college town. We’re a vegetarian based co-op with a meal plan including vegetarian/vegan dinners 5 days a week. We love to play video games, have open mic nights, play with our cats, and have potlucks every Thursday. At 19 members, Bower is a little smaller than some of the more popular houses, but we still love to bond and have fun together as housemates. We work hard to be sustainable and environmentally friendly by having our own compost and garden, and by recycling! Bower is a great place to meet people and get adjusted to the East Lansing area! If you want to live in a place with a diverse group of caring, open minded people, Bower is the place to be!

Our Vision

Live cooperatively

Our Mission

Live cooperatively

  • Community type
  • Student Co-op
  • Activities
  • Education

Gallery

  • 19 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
19

How to join

Submit the application on http://www.msu.coop/apply/
Tour houses virtually on our website.
Once accepted, contact Membership Officers of the houses you’re interested in touring!
Tour the houses you’re interested in.
Go to a house dinner AND a house meeting at the houses you like.
Wait to hear from the house’s Membership Officer about the status of your approval.
If approved by a house, make an appointment with MSU SHC office to sign a contract for your favorite one!
Voila! You are a member-owner of the MSU SHC!

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Visitors for a tour or shared dinner are welcome any time. Visitors wishing to stay overnight or wishing to be in the house unaccompanied need to contact the community at least one week in advance (preferably two) and ask if they may stay as a guest. Overnight guests are limited to a few nights. If the house cannot be reached directly, the co-op’s business office can very helpful in opening lines of communication. Go to Bower’s house page and email the membership officer.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Founder/Leader-led

Primary authority rests with the community’s founder(s) or designated leader(s).

Economic model

  • Partial Income-Sharing

Members contribute a percentage of income to community funds.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation

Additional economic information

Join fee: $405
Monthly fees/dues: Yes (amount not specified)
Labor required: 2 hours/week

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Garden(s), Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Substance use culture

  • Substance use is frequent and public in the community

Reviews

Location

  • Michigan, United States

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
Need
Need
  • Communities with Openings
12 months ago

Water Birch Co-op. Urban living in central Denver.

Large, lovely house built in 1900, two blocks from Cheeseman Park in downtown Denver.  5000 square feet. The house was a Buddhist Meditation Center for 20 years before we got it and has lovely, calm vibes. We currently have ten people and have room for one more. We are an intentional community sharing dinners, 3 living rooms, 2 new kitchens and a kitchenette, & 5 baths. Staple food (organic) is bought together. The group is self-regulating as a co-op; it decides together how the house runs. There are chores ;-) Average cost per room is about $1000 ranging from $650 to $1354. Currently available room is $875. We are just finishing renovation of three bedrooms on the third floor  they are $875 each and share our largest, newest bath (shower and separate claw foot tub) and a brand new kitchenette  they all have beautiful windows and lots of light. PLEASE CHECK OUT COMMUNITY LISTINGS FOR MORE INFO. Initial lease for 3-6 months while we and you decide if we are a good fit for each other.  Deposit in the amount of one months rent is required prior to move in.  We do background checks on all members. Utilities are currently $130 per person per month and are all-inclusive.  They will change if costs go up, that amount is insufficient to cover utilities, or more people mean the cost per person goes down.  WiFi is via mesh network from gig-speed fiberoptic service.  Heat is with radiators.  Cooling is evaporative.  We have a storage room in a nearby commercial facility.  And a new large workshop in the garage. Shared food is $125 per month per person; it is a pass-through cost divided evenly among residents; it does NOT include meat or alternative protein nor any alcohol.  We will not be surprised if that needs to go up some soon ($10 or 15). We have two dogs and three cats in the house  that seems like a sufficient quantity of furry friends for now. Our community intentions include: Communication with compassion. Shared space and life. Shared meals. Shared staple foods which are non-GMO and Organic. Group decision making. Safe, inclusive space: queer and trans friendly, anti-racist, non-violent, and feminist. The purchase of the house by the co-op in about five years. The expansion of the co-op, possibly to include other housing types (like separate apartments). Weekly meetings and house committees to manage our community. We are considering implementing Sociocracy as an organizing method. Quiet hours are from 10:00pm to 8:00am. We are looking for community members who: Want to live in a community not just have a place to sleep and eat. Want to live in a beautiful, clean, and organized house and are willing to help make and keep it that way. Residents should expect to spend 16 hours per month towards this goal. Are curious, compassionate, flexible, and open to living with others who will undoubtedly have different ideas about many things. Are interested in pioneering a new co-op. There will be work involved to get there. Are responsible and communicative. Embrace enthusiastically that living in community requires introspection and personal growth. Are not joining the community as a way of running away from something.
Need
11 months ago

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