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Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Social
  • Suburban

Founding year

  • 1976

What we do

Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative (SBSHC)

The Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative is a nonprofit, member-run cooperative providing low-cost housing for students attending colleges and universities in Santa Barbara County. We own and operate five houses in Isla Vista, California, where student members live together, share responsibilities, and collectively govern their houses.

A student-run cooperative community. Members are not tenants. They are stakeholders who help run their houses through elected service positions like House Treasurer, Food Shopper, Maintenance Manager, and Garden Manager. Members also share chores, attend house meetings, and participate in quarterly Work Holidays. Beyond the houses, members can join SBSHC committees or the Board of Directors to help guide the broader organization.

Five houses, each with its own character. Biko House is a dedicated safe space for students of color, grounded in racial equity and social justice. Dolores House is vegetarian and vegan, with a focus on ethical and environmentally minded living. Manley House is our first communal house, known for its avocado trees, solar panels, and annual traditions like prom and outdoor movie nights. Merton House is interfaith-themed and also home to the SBSHC central office, library, and auditorium. Newman House is LGBTQ+ affirming, with gardens, a fire pit, and member murals throughout.

Shared meals, shared resources. Most houses run shared food programs funded through General Use Food Funds (GUFF), which cover bulk groceries, house supplies, and home-cooked meals each week. All houses include utilities and free laundry on site.

Open membership and inclusive community. SBSHC welcomes members regardless of gender, race, social, political, or religious affiliation. We work to eliminate prejudice and discrimination in our community and run educational programs that further the principles of cooperation through mutual, self-help living at minimal cost.

Our Mission

The Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative (SBSHC) provides low-rent cooperative housing for students attending post-secondary educational institutions in Santa Barbara County.
SBSHC welcomes members regardless of gender, race, social, political or religious affiliation, thereby working to eliminate prejudice and discrimination in our communities. We strive to engage in continuous educational programs that further the principles of cooperation through mutual, self-help living at a minimal cost.

  • Purpose
  • Social
  • Community type
  • Student Co-op
  • Sustainability practices
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Education
  • Networking

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1976
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 1977
  • Started living together
  • 92 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
92

How to join

Application process starts in January for the following Summer and School Year. Series of informational sessions, tours, and house events. Room placements announced early February.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please email or call for a request to visit our co-op.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

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

Decision-making process

  • Majority Vote

More than 50% agreement needed.

Governance structure

  • Representative/Democratic

Members elect leaders who make decisions within defined roles.

Conflict resolution approach

Board of directors is one elected representative from each house plus two at large representatives and two community representatives.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Yes (2 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed

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

Common House, Garden(s), Library, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Dietary type

  • Vegetarian Only

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association
  • Organization, Resource, or Network

Substance use culture

  • Substance use is frequent and public in the community
  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Guest Book

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Location

  • California, United States

Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative

Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Communities with Openings
2 months ago

Community House in SE Portland Seeks Membership!

Ellis Street Community House is seeking kind, present, and engaged new housemates with experience in community living. We are currently 3 adults, one baby, and two cats living in a 6 bedroom, 3 bath house on ÂĽ acre of land near Powell Butte nature park and the Springwater Corridor bike trail. We expect to be joined by a shy and sweet 2 year old in the next few months. For us, living in community is a collaborative process, one that helps improve our quality of life. We’re able to eat great food, keep the place clean, maintain a garden, and hold a space large enough to host guests and events by working together. We have an extensive community library and art/craft material collection, as well as a great tea selection, stocked pantry, and functional kitchens ready for feast-making, canning, and fermentation dreams. We make kombucha, ginger beer, sauerkraut, bone broth, natto, and apple/pear butter on a rotating basis. With two fridges and two deep freezers we can save blueberries and blackberries we harvested from close by and get meat directly from farmers. We hold potlucks and other events like bonfires and game nights about once a month, and make a house dinner together weekly. We maintain a home free from artificial fragrances and voice-activated technology. The larger downstairs room is available for $740 per month. The smaller downstairs room will be available for $600 per month starting on September 1rst. The main kitchen is on the second floor. We also have private outdoor space for someone sleeping in their home on wheels available for $200-500 per month depending on the size of the vehicle. This would include membership in the community and use of the common spaces. Guest space is available for friends and relatives of residents – upstairs there is an office/guest room for longer visits, and the couches/pads in the common areas are available for shorter stays. The home has heating and cooling through an efficient heat pump, and we ju

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