Founded in 1967, Friends was established with a commitment to cultivating a vibrant community based in collaboration and mutual support. The co-op moved to our current location near the capitol in 2022. Our cooperative community is brought together by a sense of playfulness and inclusiveness. These values stretch all the way back to Friends’ evolution out of a Quaker cooperative housing community. In recent years, the house has attracted a diverse group of students and young professionals. We enjoy working together to find creative solutions to problems both informal and formal decisions. We endeavor to find consensus in the decisions we make during house meetings, and we work to make sure that all members of the household feel heard and valued.
Our current house is located in the Downtown neighborhood two blocks from the capitol and the E. Washington shopping district. Room sizes range from 115-165 square feet. The house has two accessible rooms. We do our best to prioritize these rooms for those with physical disabilities.
House members contribute a required five hours of their time each week for chores such as cooking, washing dishes, cleaning common spaces, gardening, paying bills, grocery shopping, serving as a house representative for various committees of Madison Community Cooperative, and many other jobs that go towards the upkeep and continuance of the household. Membership at Friends includes a food share, and house members often enjoy cooking for the house as part of their work hours. When cooking for the house, members always include a vegetarian or vegan option.
Cooperative Living, Community
The whole membership decides collectively.
Everyone must agree before moving forward.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Join fee: $200
Regular fees: $100
Labor: Yes (5 hrs/week)
Should expect the rough equivalent of five hours per week.
Rent ranges from $500-$700 per month depending on room size
Internet
Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.
Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
kitchens, dining, and social areas.
Cooperative housing primarily for students, often with shared chores,
meals, and democratic decision-making.
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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