Guest Voice — Closing Steel House

Susan Nesbitt

Steel House Board of Directors President 

Steel House, the women’s cooperative residence at the University of Idaho, will be closing after graduation in May. 

At the last meeting of the Steel House Board of Directors, it was clear that with the continuing decline in the number of residents, it is not financially possible to continue operations.  Many factors contributed to this decision, including the increasing number of attractive apartment options located near campus.  

This was a very difficult decision for the Board.  Most of the Board members lived in Steel House during their years at UI and have very fond memories of the time they were in the cooperative.  

Steel House was established on the UI campus in the spring of 1953.  It is named for Ethel K. Steel, who served as a member of the Board of Regents from 1933 to 1946.  Ethel Steel’s desire was for the residents to learn the responsibilities of caring for a home in exchange for lower living rates.  

From 1953 to 2007, Steel House was located in what is now known as Blake House.  The building was managed by the UI Residence Halls.  While room fees were paid directly to the university, the board fees were paid to Steel House. The residents elected members to oversee meal planning, food preparation and service, janitorial duties, and often, financial responsibilities for the cooperative.  Each member took their turn working in the kitchen, food service, and keeping their cooperative home clean. By hiring their own cook, doing their own janitorial chores, and purchasing supplies, the women found this house to often be the least expensive means of attending the university. Steel women essentially provided themselves with a solid scholarship.  This is still the model used by Steel House residents today.  

In 2007, the building on Blake Street was closed as a residence due to the cost of upgrading the building to meet the current residence hall code.  The residents worked with University Housing and Steel House alumni to form an Alumni Board.  This group incorporated and from 2009 to 2012 they leased the Phi Tau House.  When the Phi Taus returned to campus, Steel House moved to the former Delta Chi house where they continue to live today.

The closing of university housing cooperatives is happening elsewhere. In the Pacific Northwest, Oregon State University closed its four co-op houses in 2014, mainly due to lack of funding for needed renovation (from Corvallis Gazette-Times, June 12, 2013). However, cooperative student housing is not dying. Look at the Students’ Cooperative Association in Eugene, Oregon, which oversees three houses open to students enrolled in post-secondary schools in Lane County. Purdue University maintains 12 cooperative houses and Inter-Cooperative Council (ICC) Austin in Texas manages nine houses with a new one opening this fall. The ICC of Ann Arbor, established in 1932, offers University of Michigan students a choice of 16 off-campus houses, each with a unique personality and history. 

Although Steel House is not accepting residents for the coming year, the Board of Directors plans to explore ways to retain cooperative housing at UI. If you are interested in joining this discussion, please contact Sue Nesbitt at [email protected] or Jamie Garlinghouse at [email protected]. 

The Board wishes to thank retired Dean of Students Bruce Pitman, Dee Dee Kanikkeberg, director of housing as well as Del Hungerford, devoted Steel House alumna and Board member, for successfully transitioning the community after the original house closed in 2007. We also thank Shawn Dowiak, current assistant dean of students and director of fraternity and sorority life, for his support of the Board and our residents.

Letters to the editor can be sent to [email protected]