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ICC Austin

Our Mission

ICC Austin is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to provide quality, affordable, & healthy cooperative housing for students with financial need. We are dedicated to ensuring students have access to affordable housing near the university to reduce the financial burden of attending college. We own and operate nine cooperative houses in the west campus neighborhood, and we welcome all central Texas university students.

We’re a Community

We are a people-centered and values-driven organization. We actively strive to build and foster communities that are healthy and equitable. We want members of all identities – especially those who have been historically marginalized – to feel welcomed, seen, and heard. We are committed to learning and growing as an anti-racist organization in order to ensure equitable access to and in our communities. We actively challenge our assumptions and change the way we do things as we learn. We believe our collective growth is the key to societal transformation.

We’re Affordable

We believe everyone should have access to higher education, and we ensure our housing is affordable and all-inclusive to reduce the financial burdens of attending college. The monthly rent payment includes room, utilities, internet, laundry, and food. This allows you to easily budget for housing and boarding expenses. There are no hidden costs!

We’re Cooperative

We believe in the value of working collaboratively and collectively – achieving together what may not be possible alone. There are 3 distinct aspects of cooperative living that are important to understand: community building, shared resources and labor, and democratic control.

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Community is the foundation of our organization. Our members eat, work, study, relax, and grow together, which leads to incredible bonds and lasting friendships.

Building and maintaining a healthy community requires active participation from all members. And sometimes, things don’t go well. Conflict and disagreements happen and that’s ok! Conflict is an opportunity for creativity, connection, and growth. We provide the tools and resources needed to navigate difficult situations both individually and as a community.

Each semester we offer a wide array of workshops to enhance your formal education, build life-skills, and strengthen your community. Trainings encompass topics such as conflict resolution, consent, mental health, leadership development, bystander intervention, restorative justice, understanding racism, and more! We also have a full-time staff member dedicated to ensuring our communities are healthy and functioning well.

SHARED RESOURCES & CHORES

One of the most unique parts of cooperative living is an equal sharing of resources and chores. Our houses are stocked with everything you need to live comfortably. There is no need to buy pots and pans or buy living room furniture. It’s included! All members are responsible for completing an average of five hours of chores per week. Some examples of chores are cooking, cleaning, basic maintenance, yard work, and house leadership. This keeps the cost low and the houses running smoothly.

DEMOCRATIC CONTROL

Our communities are self-governed. Each semester members come together to create the environment they want to live in. Important community issues are discussed and resolved democratically at bi-weekly house meetings. Additionally, the membership elects the ICC Austin Board of Directors which governs the organization. The Board sets the goals and long-term direction of ICC Austin and ensures staff is following the strategic plan and adhering to the policies set by the Board.

ICC Austin Core Values

Community

We work to create space for everyone. We actively strive to build an environment where everyone of any race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, weight, height, accessibility needs, or country of origin feels welcomed and seen.

We support each other and give everyone a chance to learn and to improve because we believe our collective growth is the key to societal transformation.

We collaborate to build healthy house cultures and a community where everyone feels safe, comfortable, and supported.

We value our broader community and actively work to build and maintain positive relationships to produce the change we want to see in the world.

We are thoughtful of our impact on the environment and prioritize sustainable practices whenever possible.

Equity

We actively and intentionally work to challenge and disrupt existing power inequities and structures – recognizing that they are racially-based.

We acknowledge and celebrate the strengths and differences in others, and do not assume that the ways we are used to doing things are the only correct ways to do things.

We aspire to be thoughtful of accessibility needs when coordinating house and ICC-wide logistics, events, and activities.

We create environments that allow for voices that are often less heard to be prioritized, including checking in with those who tend to be quieter, and asking more dominant voices to do more listening.

We believe everyone should have access to higher-education. We ensure our housing is affordable to reduce the financial burden of attending college.

Cooperation

We believe in the value of working collaboratively and collectively – achieving together what may not be possible alone.

We maintain our organization for future generations. We are good stewards of our physical houses – leaving them in better condition than we inherited them.

We recognize our impact on others and hold ourselves and each other accountable to our community values and agreements.

We support healthy democratic process by fostering generative conversations, ensuring transparency of information, encouraging dissenting opinions, and respecting voting outcomes.

We understand that sharing yourself – time, talent, resources – is fundamental to cooperation and we express gratitude for each other’s gifts.

Secure your housing today!

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We provide quality, affordable, and healthy cooperative housing for students with financial need.

2305 Nueces Street

Austin, TX 78705

512-476-1957

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