MOSAIC (housing cooperative)
Encyclopedia
Housing cooperative
A housing cooperative is a legal entity—usually a corporation—that owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit, sometimes subject to an occupancy agreement, which is similar to a lease. ...
in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, United States. It is the only housing co-op for Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
students, though it is not affiliated with the university.
MOSAIC was formed in 1998 and was originally located at 2013 and 2015 Ridge Ave, but moved to its current location in the autumn of 2004. The main house is located at 2000 Sherman Ave, two blocks from the campus, surrounded by a primarily residential neighborhood. MOSAIC has previously included other properties and will incorporate a second house in the fall of 2011.
The co-op draws its membership from students of Northwestern as well as non-students. Members are committed to limiting environmental impact on the community and providing vegetarian/vegan cuisine. MOSAIC frequently hosts Northwestern student group activities, as well as its own events, such as open-mic nights and crafting workshops. The co-op currently states its mission as follows: "Through cooperative action, MOSAIC seeks to develop a diverse, inclusive community which inspires and empowers creative, conscious, sustainable living."
MOSAIC is a member of NASCO
North American Students of Cooperation
The North American Students of Cooperation is a federation of housing cooperatives in Canada and the United States, started in 1968. Traditionally, NASCO has been associated with student housing cooperatives, though non-student cooperatives are included in its network...
.