If I want to live in Harvest, do I have to be vegetarian?
Nope! Currently, about half of the housemates are vegetarian/vegan.
We have a policy that no raw meat can be brought into the house and that cooked meat should only be re-heated in the microwave (house pans shouldn't be used for meat). However, if you're ok with that set-up, there is no need to be vegetarian.
What is the time commitment involved when living in the house?
We have what we call labor positions. These are jobs that each person takes on once a week and are generally basic upkeep responsibilities. So, for example, one person might sweep the stairs, another might take out the compost, another keeps the bathroom tidy. Labor responsibilities generally take 30 min- 1 hour a week.
We also have coordinator positions. These are longer running, more big picture jobs. One person takes care of maintenance, meaning if there's something to be fixed, that person will either fix it or delegate the fixing to another housemate or to a professional. We have food shoppers who go out and buy food once a week. Someone takes care of finances. The time commitment varies depending on the job, but typically require 15 min to an hour per week depending on the job.
Once a week, you are expected to cook dinner for the rest of the housemates. We spend 2 hours cooking and generally about a half hour to an hour with all the clean up.
The final time commitment is attendance at a weekly house meeting which happens during Sunday night dinner. You get to multitask by eating at the same time, but it is about an hour commitment.
TOTAL: About 4 hours a week.
How does food work? You buy it collectively, right?
Yes. Part of the monthly amount paid to the house goes towards buying food.
We have housemates whose coordinator position is to buy food from the grocery store each week and one person who orders the bulk food. Buying decisions are generally made as a group, with some judgement calls going to the food shoppers. If you ever want something specific, put it on the shopping list and they'll get it.
If you wanted it to, house food could cover all of your food needs for the month. However, you are also completely free to bring your own food into the house. Just label it with your name and no one will touch it.
Can my pet live in the house too?
Probably. Pets have to be approved by the housemates, and sometimes someone already living in the house has allergies, but we are certainly open to pets.
Pets that can live in your room are almost always ok. Bigger pets that require more space and care may not be a good fit for that particular generation of housemates. With that said, the house is generally pretty open as long as you are willing to take responsibility for the pet.
Do you offer non-full year leases?
Yes, at Harvest, though room preference is given to those who are able to sign full-year leases.
Harvest currently offers three lease options
1) August 15-August 15
2) August 1-January 1
3) Whenever you join-August 15 (so if you want to move in for second semester, you're covered).
What are the total costs associated with living in a COUCH house
The costs will vary depending on which house you live in. Monthly costs break down into rent, utilities and food, with set amounts for each. Please see each house's page for information about how they do it.
Okay, so you all live in a co-op. You must be super intense hippy types...
While certain characteristics certainly trend that way - we love our garden, compost daily, believe in shared responsibility - we, for the most part, don't think of ourselves like that. We have a lot of varied interests and view points and generally don't take ourselves too seriously. We've had musicians, librarians, biologists, engineers, poets, and many more live in the house. The main commonality between housemates is a dedication to cooperation.
It's true that the houses tend to attract people with left-leaning political views, but diversity of ideas is just as important to us as other forms of diversity. As long as you are ok living with people whose views differ from your own, there's no reason you couldn't be happy in COUCH. Additionally, if politics aren't your thing, no one will ever ask you about your political beliefs, nor pressure you into picking sides.
Are you associated with other Urbana-Champaign co-ops?
Not in any official capacity, no. You may have heard about Jonah Weisskopf's co-ops and/or the Roundtable houses; while we share similar vibes and are down to network and collaborate with them, those systems are privately owned while we are democratically run as a nonprofit.