The Student Housing Crisis

The issue of access to affordable and secure accommodation has been a major concern for students all over the world. Financial insecurity and housing precarity can limit students’ ability to focus on their studies and, in extreme cases, force them to drop out of education. It also can impact students’ mental and physical health.

The Cooperative Solution

Fortunately, student housing cooperatives have emerged as a viable solution to this problem. Based on democratic and anti-speculative principles, cooperatives are an efficient alternative to the traditional housing market by providing affordable rents and a supportive community. Several examples in the European region show the potential of this model, e.g. La Ciguë in Geneva who won the silver World Habitat Award in 2024. However, it remains too little known, and better conditions are needed for it to either develop pilot projects or scale up existing initiatives. Inspired by the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO), an alliance of nearly 40 student housing cooperatives, European student housing cooperatives came together and created a movement to support and scale up this housing model in Europe. 

Pan-European Student Cooperative Housing Association

Our Mission

As a network of housing cooperative organizations, we are deeply committed to creating a pan-European association for student housing cooperatives. This is crucial to foster the emerging movement by providing cooperatives, who are currently isolated, with opportunities to exchange experiences and network with others. By doing so, they will create solidarity mechanisms beyond borders and sustain their members, even during the challenging start-up phase. Additionally, the association will help bring visibility to this model and advocate for more support from public actors, spreading the model and fighting for affordable, green/eco housing across Europe for students.

Who Are We?

Student Co-op Homes UK is a national cooperative promoting student cooperative housing in the UK. The Studentendorf Schlachtensee is a student residential complex in Berlin. La Ciguë is a non-profit student housing cooperative in Geneva. Collegium Academicum is a volunteer project that creates affordable and self-managed student housing in Heidelberg. TEK and Alliance for Community Real Estate Development (ACRED) are an alliance that promotes cooperative student housing in Budapest. North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) is an alliance of group-equity housing cooperatives that educates and supports affordable housing co-ops in the US and Canada. 

Support Actors

Cooperative Housing International (CHI) is a global organization promoting cooperative housing as a viable solution. UrbaMonde-Switzerland promotes participatory housing at both local and international levels, particularly the cooperative housing model. Cooplink is an association of housing cooperatives in the Netherlands that enables the growth of cooperative living and ensures its success by sharing knowledge and experiences. The Phone Co-op Foundation for Co-operative Innovation, an association spun from The Phone Co-op in the UK, is honing in on developing student housing cooperatives. The foundation’s objective is to empower cooperatives to address social and financial issues in communities. Anke Schwittay is a Professor of Anthropology and Global Development at the University of Sussex in the UK. Anke is leading a long-term project on student housing cooperatives as a student-led response to the current student housing crisis and actively supports students’ cooperative activities. 

Why create a pan-European association for student housing cooperatives?

Develop Tools and Resources: Support student housing cooperatives with resources such as guides on setting up a cooperative, managing finances, and dealing with legal issues.

Awareness: Raise awareness about the importance of cooperative housing among students, policymakers, and the wider community.

Outreach and Partnerships: Reach out to tudent organizations, housing advocacy groups, and universities to build partnerships and garner support for our initiative.

• Networking and Collaboration: Facilitate networking and collaboration among student housing cooperatives. Organize events and workshops where members can share knowledge, experiences, and best practices.

Past Events

Pan-European Student Housing Cooperative Association (PESCHA) Conference

A special two-day conference/gathering on October 3rd and 4th, 2024 in the beautiful city of Geneva, focused on the impact and potential of student housing cooperatives. Hosted by urbaMonde and Cooperative Housing International, this conference offered a unique opportunity to explore innovative approaches to student housing.

Day 1: Housing Tour

This day of exchanges and visits allowed participants to better understand Geneva’s cooperative housing landscape by visiting three exemplary housing cooperatives in the eco-neighbourhood of Les Vergers de Meyrin. This tour showcased the practical and community-oriented solutions that make cooperative housing effective.

La Ciguë : A student-focused cooperative offering low-cost, eco-friendly housing since 1986, with communal spaces, gardens, and a focus on self-management.

CODHA : Founded in 1994, this coop promotes participation and solidarity, with over 750 units and community spaces like gardens, a gym, and guest rooms.

Equilibre : Since 2005, it has fostered sustainable living through eco-conscious construction and collective planning, currently testing compostable toilets.

Day 2: Full Day of Exchanges

Students from Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and the UK and experts in the field engaged in dynamic exchanges, shared their experiences and discovered new strategies to bring back to their organizations.  The event focussed on the impact and potential of student housing cooperatives through workshops, presentations and discussions. Workshop topics included conflict resolution, perspectives from different countries, financing and loans, and the value of developing a Pan-European Student Cooperative Housing Association.

This conference was a fantastic opportunity for students and experts to network, share experiences, and learn new strategies for their organizations. Watch this great video put together by Cork Student Housing Co-operative that summarizes the event.

The students left inspired and plan to bring these ideas back to their housing cooperatives. They will also build on the momentum created in Geneva to continue working together on common goals with student housing coops across Europe.

International Cooperative Housing Symposium Side Event – September 2022

In September 2022, the first international meeting of student housing cooperatives was held alongside the International Cooperative Housing Symposium in Zurich and Geneva. The 30 participants, mostly students, came together for a discussion surrounding the future of the European Association.

Student Housing Cooperatives of Europe – Is it Time to Unite?! May 2022

This webinar explored the benefits of European student housing cooperatives coming together under one umbrella organization. Federating will allow student housing coops to network and cooperate to further their goals of providing values-based housing to students. 

Student Housing Cooperatives – an International Perspective

This was a global peer-to-peer discussion among individuals working in student housing cooperatives in Berlin, North America, the UK, Switzerland, and Australia. Leaders shared their experiences and knowledge, inspiring us to bring new housing solutions to our communities.

International Social Housing Festival – June 2023 – Barcelona: Community-led Housing Solutions for Students and Seniors

This workshop explored how housing insecurity can be a major concern for students and seniors. It featured La Ciguë (Geneva); Student Coop Homes (UK); Studentendorf (Berlin); Distrito Natural (Spain); and Fondazione Housing Sociale (Italy). They highlighted the potential of social housing and sustainable architecture to address the challenges faced by vulnerable groups including creating a supportive community for students throughout their academic journey.

Student Housing Cooperatives – Let’s Talk – April 2024

This conversation revolved around various topics, including cooperative governance, community building, sustainable practices, and navigating challenges unique to student housing cooperatives. The following cooperatives talked about the unique features of their organizations: Student Coop Homes (UK), Studentendorf (Berlin), Budapest Housing (Hungary), Collegium Academicum (Heidelberg, Germany), Berkeley Student Coop, North American Students for Cooperation NASCO

Resources

The Organizer’s Handbook by the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) is a comprehensive guide to creating group-equity housing cooperatives. It covers the cooperative movement, campus and community organizing, nonprofit incorporation, financing, and housing development. This essential resource demystifies a challenging project and is perfect for students and community organizers focusing on housing issues. It’s also an informative read for individuals concerned about affordable housing and college accessibility. While this edition focuses on group equity cooperatives, many resources are useful for organizing student, community, and non-housing coops. Students, affordable housing advocates, college administrators, foundations, libraries, concerned citizens, and nonprofit organizations will all find the handbook to be an excellent addition to their collection of resources.

Last Word

The vision of the cooperative movement is for individuals to come together to build more equitable, sustainable, and democratic communities. With your support, we can create a future where cooperative movements thrive, and communities are strengthened through democratic ownership and control. Join us in empowering the next wave of cooperators! 

Contact us if you want to join the Pan-European Student Cooperative Housing Association.

List of Student Housing Cooperatives

L’ACLEF (France)

Founded by a group of students, ACLEF promotes and develops practical, innovative solutions for student accommodation. With offices in Île-de-France and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the association continues to invent, develop and support new projects to tackle the student housing crisis together.

Belfast Housing Co-op (NUS/USI) (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

Working with Student Co-op Homes, NUS/USI, Co-operative Alternatives, Member Organisations, and any other relevant stakeholders in the design of a potential pilot project.

Birmingham Student Housing Cooperative  (BSCH) (Birmingham, UK)

BSHC opened its doors in July 2014. Since then, it has provided a different housing option for students in Birmingham who are seeking a cooperative and democratic way of living. This provides an alternative to the typical student experience of renting in the overpriced and undemocratic private sector.

Canberra Student Housing Co-operative (Canberra, Australia)

The Canberra Student Housing Co-operative was established in 2010 by a group of students committed to providing secure, affordable, quality housing for students in Canberra based on a cooperative model. They seek to create a home that fosters opportunity for personal expression and shared learning; a home where people share responsibility and can learn from and support each other.

Campus Co-operative Residences (Toronto, Canada)

Located in the heart of Toronto, Campus Co-op is Canada’s oldest student housing cooperative, providing affordable, off-campus accommodation for post-secondary students since 1936. Campus Co-op owns and operates twenty-three houses, providing an affordable housing community for nearly two hundred and fifty residents, upholding the original values of group aid, democratic control and cooperation.

Caracol (France)

Caracol is the first intercultural, supportive, and temporary housing model in France. It was created in 2018 and the first house was established in 2019. Caracol repurposes empty spaces to provide temporary housing for refugees, youth, and locals.

La Ciguë  (Geneva, Switzerland)

La Ciguë is an independent, non-profit, participatory cooperative founded in 1986. It offers low-cost community housing for students and promotes ecology and community living. Since its inception, it has operated on the principles of self-management.

Collegium Academicum (Heidelberg, Germany)

The new Collegium Academicum is located on the site of the former US hospital in Heidelberg-Rohrbach, Germany. A self-managed dormitory, educational institution and cultural center are located in an innovative wooden building that features 46 residential units, an auditorium with a roof terrace, and a common room.

Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Edinburgh Student Housing Cooperative is made up of two properties (28 & 34 Wright’s Houses). Edinburgh University is a 15-minute walk away or five minutes on a bike.

Kingston Student Housing Co-op (Kingston, Canada)

The cooperative own 21 houses with 171 bedrooms for post-secondary students. Houses are located within a 10-minute walk to Queens University. The organization is managed by staff and is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of nine student members.  They diligently follow their Mission Statement which is “to offer an affordable, sustainable co-operative student housing community of excellent quality”.

MuSt (Florence, Italy)

A student cooperative born in October 2021 composed of students from the University of Florence.

Neill-Wycik Co-operative College (Toronto, Canada)

Neill-Wycik is home to more than 780 post-secondary students and operates as Neill-Wycik Hotel in the summer. It was founded in 1966 by a group of Ryerson University students to address the lack of accessible student housing. Each member is responsible for contributing to the sustainability of the building.

North American Students for Co-operation (NASCO) (Canada & USA)

Founded in 1946, NASCO organizes and educates affordable group equity coops and their members to promote a community-oriented cooperative movement. It also provides resources, assists development, and encourages campus cooperatives to continue active participation in the North American cooperative sector.

SEASALT Housing Co-operative (Brighton and Hove, England)

SEASALT Housing Co-operative Limited (South East Students Autonomously Living Together) was set up by a group of students from the University of Sussex with a vision of a student-led initiative for affordable housing, democratic living and long-term sustainability.

STUCCO (Sydney, Australia)

STUCCO is a democratically managed student housing cooperative. Stucco began as a co-op for low-income students of Sydney University. Situated in the heart of Newtown, STUCCO houses a total of 40 people in 8 self-contained units. There are six 5-bedroom terraces and two 5-bedroom flats, all of which face onto a fantastic, leafy courtyard.

Studentendorf (Berlin, Germany)

The Studentendorf villages are in Berlin near the Free University of Berlin and in Adlershof on the campus of the Humboldt University. The student villages are lively homes and offer students from all over the world a place to live and work in a relaxed manner.

Student Co-op Homes UK (United Kingdom)

Student Co-op Homes is a national member led co-operative controlled by student housing co-ops and investor supporter members. It is established to promote, enable and scale-up student co-operative housing in the UK.

UTILE (Quebec, Canada)

Student housing and financial innovation for inclusive and sustainable cities. UTILE’s mission is to develop and operate affordable student housing while promoting issues relating to improving student living conditions and reducing pressure on the rental market.

Waterloo Co-operative Residence (Waterloo, Canada)

With ten properties, WCR is the largest student housing coop in North America. Built, owned & run by students.

York Non-Profit Housing Society Co-op (Toronto, Canada)