Once you've made the decision to live in Steel House, you will need to fill out the following three forms and pay a $250 damage deposit (made payable to Steel House Inc):

1) Steel House Contract

2) 10-11 Income Disclosure Form

3) Steel House Constitution

If Steel House is full, that announcement will be made on this portion of the web site. We will then begin a waiting list. Because the U of I is requiring all freshmen to live on campus for the fall of 2010, Steel House may fill up sooner than later. It's the only on-campus living option for residents that's not a sorority or in resident life. Once you've been assured there's a position for you, get the deposit and housing agreement in right away. You will then be added to all future e-mails for Steel House residents, updating you with all the information you will need before moving in.

All residents who live in Steel House are required to fill outthe "Steel HouseContract." Theagreement is for a full academic year. Although residents of Steel House may live in the house during University of Idaho vacations (unlike the dorms or Greek houses), there's no official summer agreement. Residents are charged a nominal fee each summer to live in the house from the Monday after school is out until August 15th. Residents are also allowed to stay in the house over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring break.

Click here to download a PDF file of the Academic year 2010-2011 contract.

Because Steel House is a non-profit organization with a 501(C)3 status under "low income housing," the IRS requires that residents fill out an "Income Disclosure Form." This form is kept confidential and in a file for use by the IRS should they request it.

1) If the resident is paying for her own college WITHOUT parental assistance, the form is filled out based onthe STUDENT'S income.

2) If the resident's PARENTS are contributing to her education, the form is filled out according to the PARENT'S income.

3) If the student is considered "independent" of the parent(s), the form is filled out according to the STUDENT'S income.

All residents of Steel House agree to abide by the guidelines set up by the residents. Each spring, the E-Board (student governing board) votes on what rules they wish to abide by for the following year. The enclosed 2009 Steel House Constitution is the version that each resident signs that includes the basic information from the nine-page document. The main Steel House Constitution includes job descriptions of all officers and various other positions.

When turning in the "Income Disclosure" and "Housing Agreement," the student should also read and sign the "Steel House Constitution."

When agreeing to live in Steel House, please read and print the above three forms. For the "Housing Contract," because it's several pages long, the resident can print off the first and last pages (the two requiring signatures and additional information).

Mail all THREE forms and the $250 deposit to:

Please direct any questions regarding the HousingContract or Income Disclosure to Del Hungerford, Advisory Board President at: delh@uidaho.edu or you may call her: 208-310-1344. For questions regarding the "Steel House Constitution," you may either ask Del or contact Lucy Shaw(shaw0130@vandals.uidaho.edu) or Tiffany Donenfeld (memetiftif@hotmail.com)

If you are signing up for the fall, you may move in starting August 15th of each year. This is in plenty of time for marching band camp for those residents in marching band.

If you have signed up for Steel House once the school year has already started, you may move in once the Housing Contract, Income Disclosure, and Steel House Constitution are signed. We also need to be sure that we have your $250 deposit. Fees for the particular semester are prorated from the time you move in.

You will bring to Steel House whatever you would bring if living in the dorms. There's a complete list of those items on the University Residences web site. In addition, because the majority of the residents at Steel House sleep on porches, you will want a warm electric blanket and extra blankets for our cold winters in Moscow. The porches are not heated but manage to stay fairly warm. Air is circulated easily to help keep germs out when people are ill.

Some of the rooms don't have much shelving or closet space. If you choose one of these rooms, you may want to bring some of these items from home. We can take measurements for you. You will need your own window treatments, dorm sized fridge, and extra places to keep your personal belongings.

In addition, you may want to bring a shower caddy to hold all your "shower" items that can be stored in the bathroom so you don't have to haul it back to your room after a shower. Be sure to bring plenty of towels and bed linens, laundry detergent and softener, and of course, all your personal items. If you want to keep personal food in your room, you may want to keep these items in sealed plastic bins.

If you are not from the area, be sure to remember to bring snow boots, gloves, hats, warm coats, leggings, and other articles of clothing to keep you warm. When you arrive in Moscow, it will be warm but the cold weather eventually sets in, often before people have a chance to go home for more clothing. These items can be stored in the trunk room until you need them.

Steel House is unique in that we don't close for U of I vacations. Unlike both dorms and sororities, you may live in Steel House for the full academic year, including over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break. We understand that many of our residents work jobs off-campus and need to stay in Moscow during these times to work. During the school year, you pay from August 15th through the Monday after school is out in the spring. You may choose to also live in the house during the summer for an additional cost. Summer fees will be set by April 2010.

If you are in financial need, be sure to consider that after a year of living in Steel House, you become eligible for scholarships. Also... Because Steel House is a non-profit charitable organization with a 501(c)3 status under "low income housing," you may qualify for government help to live at Steel House. Be sure to ask the financial aid office to help you with this and do some checking on your own to see what's out there for you. Let us know if you find some good sources so they can be posted on our web site!

Fees are paid once a semester within the first month of school. Most students are awarded financial aid monies to cover room, board, and books shortly after school starts. The amount of money you see in the Housing Contract is for the full year. Half of that is due at the beginning of each semester.