Webinar: Student Housing Cooperatives – An International Perspective

Mark your calendar for a live-stream discussion on YouTube Wednesday, September 30 (19h CET, 13h EDT, 11h MDT) on why student housing cooperatives are great places to live and what leaders in the field are doing to expand this housing solution.

A 2019 National Student Accommodation Survey in the UK revealed that 90% of students experience issues with their housing – mostly due to it not being maintained to a decent standard of living. The survey results also state that 50% of students struggle to pay their rent. This is an international trend that acts as a barrier to higher education.

For many students, housing co-ops are more affordable than other housing options. They are also an opportunity to create a community environment where collaboration and working together benefit the entire house or building. Student housing co-ops are collectively owned and democratically run by the resident members who make decisions on operations, finances, property maintenance and so on while gaining valuable experience in managing a business. This model has enabled student co-op organizations to acquire more properties and maintain housing affordability for generations to come.

This online discussion is a peer to peer exchange with folks working in student housing cooperatives in Berlin, North America, the UK & hopefully Australia too! We will chat with experienced leaders involved in education and training; fundraising, and housing advocacy. Join us to learn more about the growing student co-op housing movement and be inspired to bring some new housing solutions into your community.

Featured Speakers:
Bronwyn Walls – The North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO)
Jens-Uwe Köhler – Studentendorf (Berlin)
Scott Jennings – Student Co-op Homes (UK)
urbaMonde (France/Switzerland)
Mariangela Veranosi – World Habitat (moderator)
Julie LaPalme – Cooperative Housing International (host)

Cooperative Housing International, urbaMonde and World Habitat are partners in the CoHabitat Network.