Whitehall Cooperative
2500 Nueces St., Austin, Texas, 78705
About Us | Dinners | Membership | Contact
Whitehall cooperative is a vegetarian, fragrance-free, consensus-run, multi-generational, housing coop located in central Austin in the west campus neighborhood. We are located 2 blocks west of the University of Texas at Austin, on the northwest corner of Nueces and 25th Street. Whitehall was established in 1948 as an all women's student coop. This makes Whitehall the oldest housing cooperative in Texas. We went co-ed in 1971. Our population has varied a great deal over the years. We have had young families with children as well as octogenarians. Members sometimes stay for a few months, and we have had members living here for over 20 years.
We currently have 9 members, with room for 4 more. If you are interested in becoming a member we would like to encourage you to make contact with us and to come by and visit. We like to have many friends and it is easiest to accept new members that we know well.
Every one is expected to do 17 hours of labor around the house per month and attend a weekly two-hour house meeting. Labor includes kitchen tasks: cooking, cleaning or shopping, general house tasks such as: yard work, taking out the trash, recycling and compost, cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming, household repairs and many other positions as approved by the members. Another part of the labor is management; we own it we run it. We meet every Monday evening after dinner at 7:30 for two hours.
The consensus decision-making process is very important to us. Consensus works well for us and takes into consideration all our members feelings, opinions, beliefs etc. It generally takes longer than "majority rule"; however decisions don't need to be revisited often. Many of us believe that there is more harmony in the house as a result of each individual voice being heard and honored.The house does not spend money on meat or alcohol. Meat is discreetly allowed in the house. It cannot be cooked in the kitchen. It can be cooked on our grill on the deck.
Dinners are a good time to visit the house because more people are around. During the Summers and holidays, (mid-December to mid-January), it's best to call before coming over for dinner because lots of folks are out of town and the meal schedule will be in flux. We ask our dinner guests to please refrain from wearing fragrances (perfume, aftershave, essential oils, etc.) as some of our members are sensitive to these things.
Our current meal schedule (As of 6/11/2008):
Becoming a member of Whitehall Coop is a process that normally takes about two weeks. Basically the current members of Whitehall want to know we will enjoy living with the prospective members, the prospective member will be able to pay their rent, and the prospective member will live happily in the manner we currently live (vegetarian, consensus-run, multi-generational, environmentally considerate, shared labor, etc). This description tends to make the process seem drawn out and complicated, but really it is a process of making friends and insuring that prospective members and the current house are a good match. Prospective members get a deep introduction to our consensus process. With consensus all the current members of Whitehall must agree that the prospective member will be a good fit for the house.
The membership process can be summed up in the following steps:
1) Learn. Prospective members learn about Whitehall and come to think that they may be suited to living with the current members.
2) Announce. Prospective members announce that they would like to become a Member of Whitehall.
3) Learn some more. We encourage prospective members to spend as much time as they can at Whitehall to get to see how things are running, to get to know the members of Whitehall, and let us know you. This is often done by prospective members coming to dinners we serve most nights of the week.
4) Write a bio. The prospective member should write a short biography to be posted on our bulletin board (please include a date). Biographies should contain reasons for wanting to live at Whitehall, previous shared housing experiences, anticipated contributions to the Whitehall community, contact information, availability for interviews, and three references. Once the bio is posted, current members have two weeks to schedule and complete interviews.
5) Get a sponsor. The prospective member should ask for or accept the offer of one of the current members to act as their "sponsor". The sponsor will be the prospective member's point of contact at the house. The sponsor will answer questions about their membership process and what further steps may be involved.
6) Participate in interviews. Members shall be available to schedule interviews with prospective member. Typically interviews occur in person, but circumstances vary and alternative methods are an option. The purpose of the interview is for existing members to get to know the prospective member as well as to share their own experiences living at Whitehall. A good time to schedule interviews is before or after dinner, however, any time can be scheduled if those involved agree. Phone interviews are allowed if the current member feels comfortable with that format.
7) Discussion ensues. After a prospective member has completed interviews with at least half of the household, members of Whitehall shall discuss their experiences and feelings about the interviewee at a house meeting. After the discussion, the sponsor shall communicate with the prospective member regarding the process and/or if the interviewee should continue pursuing further interviews. Current members are responsible for completing the interview process in the week between the first house meeting and the second. At the second discussion the goal is to come to consensus about inviting the prospective member to live at Whitehall. If consensus is not reached the prospective member's sponsor will contact them and relay the questions or concerns expressed by the current members of Whitehall. At this point an additional round of discussion may be needed to reach consensus on the prospective members acceptance in to the coop.
8) Pay deposit and rent.
We would love to hear from you. Please contact us however you'd like. Or try one of these options:
By Phone: (512) 472 3329 We're not so great at answering the phone or checking voicemails.
By Email: If you have a membership question or would like to meet with us please email: membership at whitehallcoop dot org.
In Person: If you know how to get to UT, you can find Whitehall. Whitehall Coop is a large two story house concealed by a shroud of trees at the North West corner of 25th and Nueces. A map is at the bottom of this page. Our door bell is also cleverly concealed under the welcome sign to the far right of the door!
By car: If coming from afar, MLK (19th) or Dean Keeton (26th) are good streets to exit from when taking I-35, while Enfield (15th) or Windsor (24th) are good streets if taking Mopac. Parking is difficult, you're much better off trying the next option...
By bike: There are many great streets to take by bike. If you are intimidated by the heat or the streets, feel free to email us and we will try to give you recommendations. We have a bike rack located on the South side of our house.
By Bus: Being near UT, there are multiple ways to get here by bus, several buses run up and down Guadalupe, just two blocks east of Whitehall. Furthermore the #3 runs right down Nueces and makes a very loud stop right in front of some peoples bedroom windows! For more information on bus routes try Capital Metro's website.