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Edinburgh Student Housing Co-Operative

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Social
  • Urban

Founding year

  • 2013

What we do

Edinburgh Student Housing Cooperative Ltd was founded in January 2014, and we moved into our current premises at 28 & 34 Wright’s Houses in August 2014. The Co-op is owned and run democratically by its 106 student residents, making us the UK’s largest student-run housing project. All members are expected to contribute to the community and help with the day-to-day responsibilities of managing residential property.

Our Mission

Providing affordable rent, empowering members via consensual decision-making, and providing the space for learning valuable life skills.

  • Purpose
  • Social
  • Community type
  • Student Co-op

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2013
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2014
  • Started living together
  • 106 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
106

How to join

Applications are open regularly throughout the year for membership of the co-op, with tenancy start dates of January, June, or September 1st – please check our website to find out when the next upcoming window is. If an applicant is approved by the wider membership via voting/vetting but is not offered a specific space for one of those dates (due to far higher demand than we have places for), they will be placed on a waiting list and may be contacted by flats with offers of membership due to mid-semester move-outs.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Get in touch prior at contact@eshc.coop.

Primary decision-making authority

  • All Community Members Together

The whole membership decides collectively.

Decision-making process

  • Full Consensus

Everyone must agree before moving forward.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Conflict resolution approach

Every member of the co-operative is assigned a specific role in our Work-Share Plan, each role belonging to one of a number of Working Groups. These WGs meet weekly and take care of the day-to-day runnings of the co-op, with General Meetings held roughly every two weeks to make big decisions and approve spending. All meetings are run entirely via consensus decision-making.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Join fee: $255
Regular fees: $477
Labor: Yes (5 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Garden(s), Library, Workshop, Internet

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • ESHC leases its two buildings.

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Community type

  • Student Co-op

    Cooperative housing primarily for students, often with shared chores,
    meals, and democratic decision-making.

Food systems

  • Community garden

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Scotland, United Kingdom

Edinburgh Student Housing Co-Operative

Promoted Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Housing For Rent + Shared
4 weeks ago

Cohousing Home for Rent in Snohomish WA

Beautifully maintained and spacious home in the woods! The first floor features an open-concept kitchen with granite countertops and island off the great room, which includes a river rock wood fireplace in the living room. Large windows and skylights let the light shine in year round. Walk out the French doors onto a covered patio and pavered area for outdoor living. A bonus room is included on this floor in addition to the single-car garage. A large laundry room with lots of storage and a 3/4 bathroom complete the first floor. Solid oak flooring is throughout the home. The second floor includes 3 nicely sized bedrooms and a bathroom with a large soaker tub, dual sinks, and newly remodeled shower enclosure. Walk out the second floor to a large grassy area that is part of the shared community space. The top floor is a spacious room with skylights and a full bathroom. Total rooms is 3-4 bedrooms + office and 2-3/4 bathrooms. This home is part of the Sharingwood Cohousing community. The neighborhood incudes 23 acres of greenbelt where a stream flows during fall and winter. The common areas include a common house, play structures, a greenhouse, and community garden. Get to know your neighbors in this community of 29 single-family homes. Residents join teams and volunteer a few hours a month as participants in the community. Applications are subject to qualification requirements. Additional terms and conditions apply. Reach out to request a viewing! Owner pays HOA fees. Renter pays all utilities including water, garbage, electric, gas, and internet/cable. Renter maintains plants and gardens around home. Renters are expected to sign a cohousing agreement that outlines community expectations (available in advance upon request). Rent is $4500 per month, deposit $4500. Pets negotiable for additional damage deposit fee.
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
2 months ago

Do you feel called to help co-create a small, newly forming eco-spiritual community?

Old structures are crumbling. New ways of living are calling. We are answering that call. Wild Grace is an eco-spiritual community located in the Sierra foothills 30 minutes from Grass Valley, California. We recently completed new homes for those who feel called to our vision. Currently there are four of us living on this sacred 80 acres of land although we are a hub for an expanded neighborhood community. Many join us weekly for potlucks, expressive dance, Qi Gong, monthly musical gatherings, and seasonal celebrations in our temple, as well as tending to our orchard. We are excited to welcome others to join us on the land who are dedicating their lives to spiritual growth and ready to live in a more focused and intimate heart-centered lifestyle. Might that be you or someone you know? The fundamentals are simple. Spirit. We listen personally and collectively together most mornings, usually starting with a musical offering, a prayer, or a short reading, followed by about 40 minutes of what we call “sacred silence.” Heart Circles. About once a week we gather to share and listen. We are informed by authentic and compassionate communication practices. Nature. The land itself—an 80-acre oasis of field and forest perched above the wild and scenic South Yuba River—calls for our stewardship in the gardens, orchard, greenhouses, and general care. In turn, nature feeds us abundantly, both literally and spiritually. Interbeing. We join with others to share inspiration and connection as we host monthly gatherings of song, story and prayer that draws from the larger community in addition to other events we share with our closer neighbors. As we attend to these fundamentals, Grace flows to and through us—often in “Wild” or unexpected ways. Grace catalyzes through us, but is not something we possess. Because we all are connected, we feel that Grace actively transforms n

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