NOTICE:
NOCHA IS IN NEED OF NEW MEMBERS WILLING TO HELP UP DEVELOP AND GROW!

NOCHA is being developed to create and maintain non-discriminatory, resident owned, not for profit student housing cooperatives at universities in the greater NOLA area. Co-op members cook and clean for each other, organize their own parties and other social events and generally make their own rules while governing themselves. Also, since we provide our own food service and maintenance, we're able to keep the costs down. Given the inflated costs and limited availability of housing post-Katrina we feel it's important to create ample fair and affordable housing for students.

In addition to economic benefits, co-ops have become very popular at universities across the nation including University of Texas, UC Berkeley, Oberlin, Michigan and others for their social perks which include a stronger sense of community and no irresponsible roommates, landlords, RA's or numerous housing bills. By connecting students and their ideals, co-ops generate people and groups who become active in bettering the school, community, world in which they live. However, members are welcome to do and believe what they wish without harassment.

The main organization, NOCHA, is owned and operated by its member representatives from each house and the houses are cooperatively run by the students who reside in them. Each house is a small democratically run community where each member has equal say in house policies. or other issues. Each house elects its own coordinators in house level elections and participate regular house meetings. Members' rent which is paid by semester covers rent, utilities, food plus a discretionary spending budget. Each member is expected to contribute a certain amount of labor time each week to help maintain the house; which may seem unattractive at first but for a few hours work each week you get a clean house, fully stocked kitchen, nightly home cooked meals, and a generally well kept living environment. Each house also has elected officer positions that help maintain order and report to administrators who oversee the various houses within NOCHA.

We are being incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of Louisiana. Hopefully our first houses will be available for occupation Spring 2007.

 

E-mail: matthewb@nocha.org | simone@nocha.org