FAQs

Pacifico is a democratically-run student housing community which provides affordable housing on a non-profit basis.  Since 2000, Pacifico has offered housing to students and others in the Davis area, with a mission to keep prices low and thereby help students afford the cost of college.

A cooperative is a business controlled by the people who use it. It is a democratic organization whose earnings and assets belong to its members. By patronizing and becoming an active member of a co-op, you invest yourself with the power to shape that business. You control the politics and economics of what is truly your organization. This localized member control allows co-ops to be as varied as the people they serve. Thus, there are different types of co-ops including: food co-ops, housing co-ops, arts and crafts co-ops, book co-ops, bakery co-ops, bike co-ops, farm co-ops, rural electric co-ops, financial co-ops (credit unions), and insurance co-ops. And each of these has a flavor of its own, reflective of the desires of its individual memberships. Despite the diversity in type and tradition of co-ops, most have several things in common, particularly the ideals and principles from which they emerge.

For more info about why coops are such a good idea, check out: http://www.nasco.coop/
main_coop.html

Members rent a room in a hybrid dormitory-style and apartment-style building, and share common areas with their housemates.  As a member you will contribute to the cleaning, cooking (if you decide to join the meal plan) and administration of the cooperative.

As a a "group-equity" co-op, members participate in the governance of the co-op, while a nonprofit corporation retains ownership of the buildings. In this way, students have more control at less costs than sharing an apartment or living on campus.

Pacifico co-op was established to maintain affordability through the years. The cost of joining Pacifico is minimal, and when members move out, they receive their deposit back less any damage or unpaid fees. Monthly fees, or "rent", goes toward paying the co-op's mortgage, and covering the maintenance and management of the buildings. Any additional profit goes into making Pacifico more affordable or creating new student housing co-ops.

Rent varies from $319 to 495, per month (which includes all utilities) depending on the size of the room, and whether the room is shared or not. Large single rooms are the most expensive at $495, and small single rooms cost $405.  Large double-occupancy rooms cost $364, and small doubles are a very affordable $319.

Before you can move in, you must pay a refundable $500 deposit and a nonrefundable one-time-only $36 membership fee. The first month’s rent is also due when you move in.  Because Pacifico has a commitment to make housing affordable for every student, payment plans are available to help with the up-front cost of rent and deposit.

The restrooms are all shared and are located on each floor. The first floor has 1-2 bathrooms and is handicap accessible. The 2nd and 3rd floors have 3 shower stalls, 3 sinks and 3 toilets, and are shared by one hallway.

Your rent payment includes electric, gas, water, sewer, garbage and  high-speed internet. 

The cleaning is done by the members. Everyone is assigned labor or work-shifts. The work-shifts are done either weekly or as-needed, based on what you and your fellow coop members decide.

At Pacifico, many of the things which would be done by paid staff are done by the membership of the cooperative through labor contributed to the coop.  Coops, like other households, can’t function without labor.  In any house, somebody has to wash the dishes, mop the floor, scrub the toilet, and other chores. The only difference is that here we all cooperate to get things done. We have a Labor System set up to insure that the house runs as smoothly as possible.  The amount of labor each member provides is decided by the membership each year, but is typically around an hour per week.

As a member of Pacifico, you will be given the chance to let us know what your schedule and skills are like, and we will do our best to make sure that you are given labor assignments to work with your needs and abilities.

The meal plan is an additional fee from the rent. The fee depends on how much your house decides it will need to contribute. The members cook the meals, which are typically Monday-Thursday.

You do not. Most of our members eat meat, and the meal plan strives to accomodate a range of dietary preferences. Of course, vegetarians are welcome, but you do not have to be vegetarian to live here, nor do you have to be vegetarian to appreciate a vegetarian dinner.

You can start by searching and reading the information on this website. Find out about the coop, what kind of rooms are available, expected contribution to chores, meal plans, and co-op policies. The next step is to take a tour, if possible, or give us a call; dinner time is a good time to meet  and talk to current housemates, call to schedule a visit or just stop by!

We have a parking lot and if you would like to bring your car you can buy a parking permit and you will be given one.

Common areas are all furnished and stocked with utensils and appliances (kitchen, living room, TV room, etc.) It’s your choice whether to rent a furnished or unfurnished bedroom. If you would like to have your room furnished it is an extra $25.00 a month. The furnishings include bed, desk and a chair. All rooms include storage lofts and closet areas.

You can apply online or contact us at info@pacifico.coop or 530-297-1222 to schedule a visit.

Pacifico follows the cooperative principle of Open Membership, which means that every student can become a member, and non-students can also be approved. At Pacifico, we believe that everyone should experience cooperative living, and invite you to stop by from Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM to get a tour of the coop.

All you have to do to become a member is fill out an application and bring it to our office in person, by mail, or by fax.  If there is an available space at the time, you will be given the chance to sign a contract as soon as your application is processed.  If there are no rooms currently available, you will be given the opportunity to be placed on our waiting list.

Most of our rooms are singles, but we do have a few double rooms where you can have a roommate. You can share a room with someone you know or we can match you with someone that is also looking for a roommate. 

We have a wide variety of individuals from different cities, states and countries. We also have a mixture of  international, re-entry, transfer, graduates and undergraduates. All age groups are welcome.

We have four buildings and each building has single and double rooms. In total, we house 112 students. 

Some pets, including cats and dogs, are allowed at Pacifico.  We have plenty of yard where they can roam (under supervision).  Some areas of the coop allow pets, whereas others (including all common kitchen/dining areas) never allow animals inside.  In this way, both pet owners and those with allergies or other aversions to pets can share the space at Pacifico.  Contact us to find out which areas of the coop allow animals inside.

You must pay a $200 deposit for each pet you are bringing into the house.  The pet owner is also responsible for any damage done to carpet, rugs, walls, furniture, smell, etc., above and beyond what is normally expected to put the room back into its pre-pet condition. This means a pet owner can be charged additional costs if needed.

Unlike the dorms, you may stay at Pacifico during the entire period of your contract, including winter and spring holidays.

Yes. The first floor of each house can accomodate wheelchair users, and our parking lot has designated spaces. If you are interested in accessible housing, please contact us.

The standard contract for residence at Pacifico runs from September 15th through September 14th of the following year. Very few leases are offered live at Pacifico for a time period less than this, so please contact us to find out if a short-term lease is available. If you can continue paying your rent but need to leave early, you will need to make arrangements with your housemates to make sure your co-op responsibilities are covered. If you need to sublet a portion of your lease, this is possible, but your replacement would require the approval of the members before you could complete the sublet.

The Putah Creek Bike Path passes directly behind Pacifico's backyard, and is a five-minute bicycle ride to the UC Davis Campus. Walking, it takes 15-20 minutes. There is also a Unitrans bus that picks up on Richards, which is a five-minute walk from Pacifico. We are on the "W" and "M" bus lines. 

While Pacifico supports your right to own guns, we ask that they not be kept at the coop.

No. No smoking is allowed in the house, not even in your room.  We do have lots of outdoor
space and covered areas where smoking is allowed.

You find find Pacifico on a map here.

Yes, there are several! Here are some links:

Davis Tri-coop:  http://www.housing.ucdavis.edu/__host/tricoop/dsc/default.htm

Solar Community Housing:  http://daviswiki.org/Solar_Community_Housing_Association

And for more examples: www.community.coop/davis

North American Students of Cooperation ~ http://www.nasco.coop/

Wikipedia definition of Cooperative ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative