1. Membership and Room Policies
    1. Becoming a member of HAUS
      1. A person may only become a member of HAUS through the membership process of a particular house, either as a full member or as an associate member.
      2. There are two types of members
        1. Full members
          1. Generally those living at houses.
        2. Associate members
          1. Generally those not living at houses.
      3. Non Discrimination Policy
        1. HAUS and/or any particular house will never take the following into account in making membership decisions:
          1. Federally protected classes include:
            1. Race
            2. Color
            3. Religion
            4. National Origin
            5. Sex
            6. Familial Status
            7. Disability
            8. Veteran status
          2. Additionally, HAUS will never take the following into account in making membership decisions:
            1. Sexual orientation
            2. Gender identity
            3. Political beliefs that do not infringe upon the rights of others
            4. Age (except as described below)
          3. While HAUS will never discriminate based upon disability status and will attempt to make reasonable accommodations through policy changes or physical alterations, some houses may not be able to accommodate all disabilities.
            1. The intent, however, is that over time, HAUS will be able to provide reasonable accommodation for most disabilities.
          4. While HAUS will not generally discriminate based upon age, some houses may be restricted to persons over a certain age.
            1. Houses are individually allowed to make one of the following restrictions:
              1. No one under the age of 21 may become a member or sign a lease.
              2. No one under the age of 18 may become a member or sign a lease.
            2. No individual can be rejected on the basis of age unless there is a pre-existing house policy in place regarding age that would disqualify that person for membership in the house.
            3. At no time may a house accept any non-emancipated person under the age of 18 as a member.
            4. HAUS does not discriminate on the basis of familial status. While HAUS will work for creating a family-friendly coop and making this space attractive to potential members with children, no applicant may be denied on the basis of having children, should they otherwise qualify, so long as the parent meets the age requirements for the particular house.
      4. Dependents
        1. Members are allowed to have dependents and applicants cannot be rejected on the basis of familial status.
        2. Dependents have to pass a basic eligibility check, but will not go through the house screening system themselves.
        3. However, personal knowledge of actions or threats by a dependent are eligible as reasons for a blackball vote.
        4. Members are responsible for their dependents while they are a member, and actions taken by dependents that violate these policies may be reason for termination of membership.
      5. This entire section is derived from HAUS bylaws and corporate policies and cannot be changed by an individual house.
    2. Steps to Urth House Membership
      1. Make initial contact with Membership Coordinator
      2. Membership application
        1. Any prospective applicant may submit an application to the Membership Coordinator at any time.
        2. The application must includes at least the following:
          1. Proof of financial ability to pay rent, including references.
          2. Sustainability pledge: Please submit a written pledge to sustainability that indicates your motivation and reasons for participation in this mission. You may choose to include the answers to questions such as “What makes you a sustainable person? What skills and ideas can you contribute to living in a sustainable way?”
          3. Housing references: Please provide the names, addresses, and contact information for three people (at least two unrelated) that can serve as a reference.
          4. Standard rental application details.
          5. The Membership Coordinator will process the basic eligibility check within a reasonable amount of time, not to exceed 2 weeks.
          6. Before becoming eligible for membership, a candidate must:
          7. Attend 2 dinners (reasonable accommodations can be made if this is not possible).
          8. Pass a basic eligibility check
          9. House screening process
            1. A second process with current members of the Urth house determines if applicants are eligible to become members.
              1. After an application has been received as previously described, the Membership Coordinator will notify all existing members of the applicant’s eligibility
              2. Current members have 48 hours to exercise a black ball vote (veto) on membership, exclusive of weekends and holidays.
                1. Members may only exercise their black ball for one or more of the following reasons:
                2. Personal knowledge of previous actions by applicant that would result in eviction from the house should they have been living in the house at the time.
                3. Personal knowledge of any threat of violence, sexual harassment, or other threat of crime to other members.
                4. Demonstrated reasons the applicant cannot be reasonably expected to participate in the labor system, pay rent, or function in a cooperative living environment effectively.
                5. Applicant will have a known large carbon footprint should they live at the house, such as a daily commute beyond Beltway 8, or that their move to the house would mean they are moving significantly further away from their daily work or school location.
                6. Previous evictions.
                7. The reasons noted for blackballing must be recorded in confidential, internal HAUS files, but will not be made available to applicant or anyone other than board members and membership officers, unless requested by a court of law. To ensure confidentiality, blackballing will be conducted privately over emails directly to the Membership Coordinator.
              3. If an eligible person receives one or more black ball vetoes they will no longer be eligible for membership.
              4. If a person does not receive one or more black ball vetoes within the allocated period of time, they will be considered eligible for membership and the Membership Coordinator will offer them a space.
          10. The house will attempt to maintain a 50:50 gender ratio. This will be achieved by conducting outreach for persons of the underrepresented gender.
          11. As soon as the applicant is offered a space for membership in the house, they may reserve a spot by doing all of the following:
            1. Selecting an available room
            2. Signing a lease
            3. Paying a deposit
          12. Should two or more applicants become eligible and attempt to claim a room on the same day, the membership officer will implement a vote, in which that candidate receiving the most votes is offered the room.
            1. This vote shall be in compliance with the HAUS non-discrimination policy.
          13. Rosalie House has opted to limit membership and housing to individuals over the age of 21.
          14. Annual General Meeting
            1. An annual general meeting of the entire membership of HAUS shall occur as outlined in the HAUS bylaws.
            2. The full membership of HAUS may overrule the board of directors at any properly convened General Meeting, as outlined in the HAUS bylaws.
          15. Associate memberships are available for those individuals who desire varied levels of membership excluding housing.
            1. Associate Members
              1. Benefits include up to 5 dinners per week
              2. Costs: $50 a month + 1 hour of kitchen help per week
              3. Requirements: must have other residence
          16. Roommates
            1. Any member may decide to have roommates in their room.
            2. All roommates must pass through the normal membership process.
              1. A current member may restrict the open roommate spot in their room to the person of their choosing among membership applicants.
            3. Roommates pay an additional $50 of rent and $150 of living expenses per month (above what the original member pays).
            4. Roommate must also pay a $400 deposit.
            5. Two or more people may apply together to be roommates in an empty room.
              1. Each person must pass the membership process separately.
              2. As soon as one person is accepted, they can hold their roommate spot for their prospective roommate.
              3. Both roommates are equally liable for the rent. Each will sign a lease agreeing that if there are two people present in the room, the sum of the cost of the rent of the room plus $50 will be halved, but if one person leaves, then the lease is terminated and the remaining person is no longer responsible for the full price of the room.
              4. The remaining roommate can then decide whether to:
                1. move out;
                2. find another roommate; or
                3. be responsible for the full price of the room.
                4. Locks and keys
                  1. Each room has a lockable door with its own key.
                    1. The Membership Coordinator must maintain copies of all house keys. Members may install a new key but are required to provide the Membership Coordinator with a copy.
                    2. The Membership Coordinator will place the copies of all house keys in a lockbox.
                      1. In the event that the Maintenance Manager needs to access a room on an emergency basis and is unable to get the keys from the Membership Coordinator in a timely manner, the Maintenance Manager may access the lockbox and remove the necessary key.
                      2. In this event, the Maintenance Manager is required to notify the Trustee, the Membership Coordinator, and the house member as soon as possible via email.
                      3. If the Maintenance Manager needs to enter house members’ rooms, he or she must give the house member twenty-four hours’ notice.
                    3. No one (including the Maintenance Manager) is allowed to enter house members’ rooms, regardless of whether or not the room is locked.
                  2. Outside locks
                    1. All exterior doors must be locked at all times.
                    2. For any doors that lock with a code, the code may only be given to paying members and associate members.
                      1. Members should exercise extreme discretion when sharing the code with friends or significant others.
                      2. If the member gives a code to an additional person not already known to the HAUS by sight, he or she is asked to send a brief note to the HAUS list-serv with a quick description of the person receiving the code and a photo if possible.
                      3. All friends or significant others in possession of the code should also have the HAUS password, which will change each time the code changes.
                    3. The Maintenance Manager is responsible for knowing the code and making sure that all members are aware of the code. He or she is also responsible for changing the code when any changes to membership occur (members moving out, losing associate status, etc).
                    4. The code will also be changed at least every three months.
                5. Leases
                  1. Members are required to sign a 12 month original lease.
                    1. If a member signs 12 month lease and pays for 12 months, then that member gets a $100 discount on the 12th month.
                    2. A current member in good standing may renew his/her lease on a 12 month basis, or a defined date in the future. The 12 month lease benefit (listed above) applies for members who renew their lease.
                  2. Breaking lease
                    1. Members may break contract without penalty or move out early if the house is otherwise full and someone signs a new, full contract for that room.
                  3. Deposit
                    1. A $350 deposit is required with the lease, and a $50 non-refundable membership fee, which includes a membership to NASCO.
                    2. The deposit and membership fees must be paid to secure a room in the house.
                    3. The lease outlines reasons a deposit may not be returned.