Steel House is separate from both Greek and Residence Hall life. It is another on-campus living option for women that is cheaper and has many benefits. 

George Wood Jr. | Argonaut
Steel House is a coorperative living group for women. It was built in 1952 replacing to replace Ridenbaugh Hall as a resident hall.

Steel House Administrator Del Hungerford said Steel House is a women’s cooperative, which means the students who live there do most of the work around the house — such as cleaning, making it more monetarily efficient.

Since the members of the house do much of the work, there is no need to hire cleaning staff. This also makes Steel House a less expensive on-campus living option than Greek or dorm life, Hungerford said.

Hungerford said living in Steel House is like living in a dorm, but instead it is just a house.

The name Steel House came from one of the UI Board of Regents members Ethel K. Steel, he said, when the house was moved from Ridenbaugh Gallery to a separate location. The women’s cooperative has been known as Steel House since 1953. Annysia Hoffman, the house treasurer, said Steel House is a midpoint between Greek life and Residence Hall life.

Steel House is a separate entity from the University of Idaho. It is run by an alumni board, which means the members pay to the house about $3,000 per semester, not to UI.

Bri Murphy, the current resident assistant of Steel House said the members of the house have more say on how the house runs, compared to dorm or Greek students. Members take a vote on things like the quiet hours, man hours, study hours and social activities.

Everything is voted on within house, and administrative staff is there as guidance for students — they don’t tell them what is supposed to be done, Hungerford said.

Alex Croft, the Steel House janitorial manager, said Steel House gives a feeling of family to the members living there.

Even though everyone is surrounded by people, there is still privacy Hoffman said.

Hungerford said one of the goals of Steel House is to help women learning how to live on their own. So, by living there, members learn how to clean, cook and take care of kitchen duties –such as buying groceries.

“It is an experience that you only get in Steel House,” Hungerford said.

Murphy said living in Steel House was a great transition to living off campus.

Steel House kitchen manager Cesia Cisse said Steel House teaches responsibility, accountability, independence and a sense of self.

“We are held accountable for our actions,” Croft said.

Hoffman added that being independent teaches members how to work for themselves and how to stand up for themselves, whenever they feel like something or someone is being disrespectful.

Cisse said Steel House members are a diverse group of girls. There are art students who live there because of the proximity to many of the art buildings, but members are everything from “gamer girls” to “fashionistas,” Cisse said.

“It’s unique,” Hoffman said. “We all accept each other.”

Claire Whitley can be reached at [email protected]