Live at 417 House
UEC supports an intentional community at 417 University Ave SE. Up to seven people live together and commit to share life, meals, prayers and time.
Are you interested in living in this house? What is life at 417 like? See below! (With thanks to our friends from CRECHE who crafted much of this FAQ)
417 House FAQ
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Life at 417 is somewhere between roommates and a chosen family, and housemates share common spaces, common work, and common life. We offer much more than shared housing – we put time and effort into building the trust, relationships, and resilience between us necessary to weather life’s unforeseen twists and turns. Housemates pay $400-500/month which includes rent/utilities/internet/parking.
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The work of living in community (chores, spiritual practice, self-governance, common meals, etc) takes about 5 hours per week, which is comparable to living with a family, but more structured. Our community members work, study and manage just fine. House meetings, currently every other Thursday, are mandatory & housemates block off their schedules to commit to these gatherings. Housemates also commit to intentionally sharing time with each other and getting to know each other.
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Our community members are all folks who are studying—or preparing to study somewhere in Minneapolis. An intentional community is neither a dormitory nor a halfway house – it’s a way of life for anyone who values relationships, interdependence, and service.
This house was started by three students who transferred from community college to either Augsburg or the U. We hope to continue welcoming transfer students into 417 House and providing a supportive community as they finish up their degrees.
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While there are no couples in the community currently, we are definitely open to having the conversation.
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Nope! 417 is rooted in the values of the Episcopal tradition, which informs many of our common community practices. Community members will explore these values and practices but can come from any background or identity.
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Yes, yes, and yes, and our communities are made stronger by their presence and leadership.
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We ask for a minimum commitment of one year. Intentional communities need a certain amount of stability to thrive, and that’s hard to do if more than a few residents are turning over constantly.
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STEP 1: Have a conversation with our director, Steve Mullaney, to talk about the mission of 417, the communities we’re trying to build, what life in the house is like, and see if it sounds like what you’re looking for.
STEP 2: Visit a gathering at 417 House and meet informally with the housemates.
STEP 3: After that, we’ll set up a formal conversation between you, the housemates, and UEC staff/board to explore whether this is a community to which you are called. After the visit, we’ll confer among ourselves and reach back out to you – if you and we are all at a “yes,” we’ll invite you to move in.