Brown Association for Cooperative Housing

Inside the Watermyn Co-op

The Brown Association for Cooperative Housing (BACH) is a 501(c)3 non-profit student housing cooperative located in Providence, Rhode Island. BACH was the first non-profit co-operative in the country given non-profit status on the basis of fighting gentrification.[1]

History

BACH's founding resulted directly from a Group Independent Study Project (GISP) organized by Brown University students in 1970. BACH was the first organization in the United States to receive non-profit status for fighting gentrification. It does this by providing an affordable housing alternative for Brown students.[2]

General information

BACH is currently made up of two houses, which house nearly 30 members. Both houses offer low-cost vegetarian and vegan dining alternatives to residents and other students and non-students.

Though BACH was founded by Brown University students, it is an incorporated entity independent of Brown University, and has an open membership. Though predominantly Brown students, recent members have included students from RISD, University of Rhode Island, and Johnson & Wales University, non-students, travelers, locals, and all sorts of other types.

BACH is an entirely member-run cooperative. There are no paid staff of any kind. Members are therefore obligated to perform all tasks relating both to the upkeep of two houses, and the running of a non-profit corporation. Towards these ends, all BACH members commit five hours per week on average. Each year, members for the next semester are chosen by random from a blind lottery system.

The "Houses"

The current BACH houses are Finlandia co-op (116 Waterman St.) and Watermyn Co-op (166 Waterman St). 166 Waterman, purchased in 1970, was BACH's first self-owned house. Former houses were the Milhaus Co-op, 67 Charlesfield St.; and the Carberry Co-op, 71 Charlesfield St.

Milhaus and Carberry were the original BACH houses, in buildings leased from Brown. They closed as co-op houses when Brown terminated the leases in September 1995. The buildings sat empty and unused for a decade. The exteriors were repainted, but until 2007 when the buildings were renovated for graduate student housing, the interiors remained untouched since eviction day in 1997. In 2005, students revisited the old houses and were greeted by art/graffiti and posters, advertising shows from a decade ago.

Traditions

Every year Watermyn Coop is host to a Naked Party.[3]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  2. ↑ A detailed history on the Association.
  3. ↑ Aviv, Rachel (7 January 2007). "Black Tie Optional". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2015.

Coordinates: 41°49′40″N 71°23′38″W / 41.827843°N 71.393841°W / 41.827843; -71.393841

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