OSU students are once again trying to start a cooperative housing unit this fall. The co-op housing is to be multicultural and environmentally friendly, said Shannon Tubb, a senior in international studies, who is starting the co-op housing.

Co-op housing allows people to live in a house that they own and maintain themselves. People living in co-ops eat meals together, have house meetings, buy furniture and other household goods together. Co-ops provide their members with the sense of a community and family.

“The co-op would provide a cross-cultural contact and hopefully break down walls,” Tubb said. She said that a multicultural co-op will provide students with new opportunities and understandings of different cultures.

Steve Sterrett, communication relations director of Campus Partners, said the main reason students become involved in co-ops is because of lower rent. The living arrangement offers a group environment, generally with people of the same interests and sense of responsibility.

Co-ops are not for everybody, Sterrett said. Students need a wide variety of housing options including the residence halls, fraternity and sorority houses and apartments.

Tubb and Sterrett agree that with a sense of ownership comes a sense of pride. They believe that if more co-ops were on campus the area would be improved.

The co-ops help provide a stable neighborhood, according to Sterrett. Members of co-ops generally tend to care what their property and their neighbors’ property looks like. They want their house to be attractive and their neighborhood to be safe, he said. Campus Partners tries to support the idea by giving information out about co-ops and referring students to Tubb.

Tubb said the idea was brought to her by Shane Hankins, a former USG member in 1997. Hankins tried to form a co-op house then but financial support fell through when OSU failed to back the project, she said.

Tubb said OSU was hesitant because they did not know how the co-op would work and whether it would succeed. The idea has flourished now with the help of Jim Patterson, OSU Board of Trustees member.

Patterson and other university employees have helped Tubb in finding information about co-op housing and information about financing the project.

“The problem with starting a co-op is a catch-22. One year there will be enough students but a house will not be available and the next year there will be a house available but not enough students,” Tubb said.

Tubb said there is plenty of housing options available and will probably lease-to-own the first couple years.

Sterrett said the hardest part in forming a co-op is getting it organized and setting up a strong internal system. He suggests leasing the property for a year or two, then looking for financial backing once a strong and reliable system is running.

Tubb said she is hesitant to work with OSU in backing the program because a co-op is supposed to be a democratic community without any other entities to take over.

Sterrett agrees with Tubb in that the nature of a co-op is a democratic organization run by students. This is why although OSU and Campus Partners think co-op housing is important but did not involve themselves in the project.

Tubb has a group of five people and would need two or three more in order for the co-op to function properly. One component of a co-op is to run it like an organization with board members. This is why Tubb thinks five is too small but will start the co-op if need be.