FAQs

What does it cost to live in Gamma Alpha?

When residents first move in, they pay a deposit and begin paying monthly rent. All of these costs are about the same. We are a non-profit organization, so you’ll find that our rent is extremely competitive; all money goes right back into the house and is used for upkeep, buying house staples, paying for utilities and property taxes, etc.

Does living in a community mean I’ll always have to wait for the shower, stove, etc.?

Rarely, despite the fact that there are 12-13 residents in the house. At any given time, residents of the house have varied schedules, so it is relatively uncommon to have waits for bathrooms. Similarly, there always seem to be enough spots on the stove.

Because residents spend their time both in private rooms and communal spaces (studying, socializing, or napping), you can strike a balance between privacy and community.

How does sharing of supplies and food work?

Although our house is big, we have only a limited amount of space in the pantry, fridges, etc. Each resident is assigned one refrigerator shelf, one freezer space, and a pantry shelf for personal supplies. This has proven to be adequate as we share some commonly used food staples (flour, rice, butter, spices, oils, etc.). We also share supplies for cleaning and house repairs. The cost of shared food and supplies comes out of the monthly rent.

Which room will I have?

This is a tricky question. Rooms are assigned by seniority, so that whenever anyone leaves the house, the most senior member has “first dibs” on the room. If the most senior member wants to stay where they are, the second most senior member has the option to move, and so on down the line. Therefore, short of convening a house meeting, it is quite difficult to say which room you may have.

In lieu of actually answering this question, it may be helpful to get a feel for the range of rooms. All are quite livable; some are larger than others, but recall that, as a member of the house, you have access to all common spaces in the house.

Can guests stay in the house?

Our community is what makes our house special, and we always enjoy meeting friends of residents. If visitors wish to stay overnight, we have a dedicated guest room that may be reserved on a first come, first serve basis. There is a $10 charge per day for guests using that room up to a week. Visitors are also welcome to stay in your room. We expect guests to follow the same guidelines for behavior (i.e., no loud noise late at night, cleaning up after oneself, etc.) that we expect of each other, but we’re really a quite welcoming house.