Student Co-op Homes Acquires Birmingham Property in the UK
CHI member, Student Co-op Homes (SCH) in the UK, is excited to announce the acquisition of Birmingham Student Housing Co-operative’s (BSHC) property. Founded in 2014, BSHC is one of the UK’s longest-running student housing coops. It provides a better alternative to the overpriced and inadequate accommodation available in the private sector.
By partnering with SCH, BSHC hopes to access funding to retrofit the house with sustainable improvements, including insulation and solar panels. The acquisition was made possible through the strong partnership between SCH and Midcounties Co-op. Midcounties invested £142,500 in share capital to finance the purchase. The Phone Co-op initially purchased the property in 2014 to give BSHC access to a house. The Phone Co-op later merged with Midcounties in 2018.
Living in a Student Housing Cooperative
Living at BSHC provides a unique opportunity to experience housing without a landlord. The house is organized democratically, with every member having an equal say in how the house is run. Members hold fortnightly meetings to discuss house operations, resolve issues, and plan future tasks. Living cooperatively offers the chance to learn new skills and build deep friendships, which can greatly enrich the student experience.
Members are expected to attend house meetings regularly. These meetings are held every other week and are how members collectively make decisions and run the house. Additionally, they have a communal house clean every Sunday where each member is assigned a room to clean. All members are also part of one of three working groups: Finance, Maintenance, and Outreach, which help the cooperative keep on top of the day-to-day running of the house.
About Birmingham Student Housing Co-operative
Grotty houses and tiny flats dominate much of the student housing market in Birmingham. The Free Education Movement, a group of students who believed that university housing could be better than other rental housing established BSHC. They worked hard to create a place where students could have meaningful control of their housing. Furthermore, investing the cost of rent back into the house contributes to a better living experience.
The property is a large nine-bedroom house with many amenities. There is a spacious living room, a fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms, and a sizable garden complete with a fire pit, greenhouse, shed, and trampoline! It is located only a 30-minute walk from the University of Birmingham and has regular bus services to Birmingham city centre.