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CHÜVA Handbook
Updated: February 10, 2016
“Although this organization has members who are University of Virginia students and
may have University employees associated or engaged in its activities and affairs, the
organization is not a part of or an agency of the University. It is a separate and
independent organization which is responsible for and manages its own activities and
affairs. The University does not direct, supervise or control the organization and is not
responsible for the organization’s contracts, acts, or omissions."
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Welcome to CHÜVA, and welcome to the CHÜVA handbook!
What is a co-op? A co-operative is a business that is run by the people who use it (rather
than CEOs and shareholders). It is a nonprofit alternative business model that is focused
more on meeting the needs of members than on making money. A housing co-operative,
then, often takes the form of a house that is jointly owned by the people who live there.
Residents purchase “member shares,” thereby becoming partial owners of the house. All
members get equal voting power, regardless of whether they’ve contributed more or less
money to the enterprise. This is economic democracy.
CHÜVA Mission Statement
Co-Operative Housing at the University of Virginia (CHÜVA) is a corporation organized
exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Its purposes are:
To increase accessibility of university education through the development of occupantmanaged, democratically run housing for low and moderate income people;
To provide unique opportunities for service, education, management, and community life
to both its members and affiliates; and
To increase the number of members in the corporation, according to the availability of
property and as allowed by growth in the corporation's assets.
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Living in a CHÜVA House
Establishing Your House Communication Hub
Establishing a common location for communication is important in any co-operative
house. Consider putting a large cork or dry erase board in an accessible and visible
location. This is where you can post things like shopping lists, rent amounts, emergency
contact information and monthly job schedules.
First House Meeting
Once everyone has moved in and gotten settled, it’s time to plan your first house meeting.
Having house meetings over a house dinner makes for a relaxing atmosphere in which to
start getting to know each other. Sometimes people move in gradually, so it can make
sense to have this first meal be a potluck.
House meetings are a time to discuss policies, assign house jobs, and collect/record
essential information. Here is a list of suggested agenda items:
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House Policies
o House Account
o Noise
o Sharing & Borrowing of Possessions
o Absence & Subletting
o Locking the House
o Visitors
o Division & Assignment of Jobs
o Conflict Resolution
House Dinners & Meetings
o Decide when and how frequently you will have house dinners and house
meetings. Having meetings to accompany meals is usually a convenient
option (you can have the facilitator take notes during or after the meal). We
recommend house dinners at least once a week. The rotation for house dinners
(who cooks, who cleans, and when) should also be decided upon.
Food Budget and Sharing
Traditions
o Compost
o House Name
o House Sign
o House Book
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Living in a CHÜVA House
Possible House Jobs
Here is a listing/description of possible house jobs. Each member should consider
fulfilling the duties of one of these positions.
Kitchen Cleaner – The usual kitchen cleaning duties, including emptying compost.
Food Manager - Make weekly shopping trips and put away/organize food. Throw away
spoiled leftovers.
Finance Manager - Track receipts from house members and manage house account.
Collect money and pay bills for house expenses.
House Historian – The house historian is responsible for preserving the history of the
house and co-op in words, pictures, and collections of artifacts. They document who we
are.
Landlord Liaison – Each house should have someone designated to deal directly with
either a landlord or property management company. They communicate house repair
requests, lease cancellations or renewal, and moving out procedures or moving day as
stipulated by the property manager or owner.
Gardener - The gardener is responsible for maintaining the yard and/or garden. They
oversee the upkeep of the outdoor grounds, such as lawnmowing, weeding, trimming, etc.
The gardener should communicate with the Liaison to be sure all requirements for
outdoor appearance by the landlord are met.
Secretary - The secretary is responsible for taking notes at house meetings, distributing
them as necessary, posting notices around the house for deadlines, events, and CHÜVA
meetings.
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House Locations
“1900”
1900 Jefferson Park Ave. #11
Established: 2004
“1901”
1901 Jefferson Park Avenue
Established: 2009
“220B”
220B Shamrock Rd.
Established: 2005
“The Fontaines”
2300A and 2302 B Fontaine Ave
Established: 2010
CHÜVA Officer Positions
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Recruitment Coordinator
Support Coordinator
Event Coordinator
Development Director
Marketing Coordinator
Non-Resident Director (Ombudsperson)
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Appendix B: Example Food List
*Bulk food: We recommend having several large containers for commonly used items
like paper products, oats, flour, peanuts, or dish and hand soaps. Olive and vegetable oils
can also be purchased in large containers and distributed into a smaller container as
needed. You can also order non-perishables in bulk (by the carton or bag). We do this for
things like soy milk, rice, and paper products.
Household Products
Detergent
Hand-wash Soap
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Perishables
Butter
Butter Substitute (i.e. Earth Balance)
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, hot
sauce, etc.)
Cheese
Eggs
Jelly/Jam
Milk
Orange Juice
Peanut Butter
Sandwich Bread
Tofu
Non-perishables
Brown/White Rice
Beans
Baking Items (flour, baking powder &
soda, etc.)
Oats
Pasta
Peanuts
Popcorn
Raisins
Spices
Tea
Fresh Produce
Apples
Bananas
Carrots
Garlic
Ginger Root
Frozen Veggies
Onions
Oranges
Potatoes
Seasonal Veggies
Tomatoes