Students to Co-operate on Housing

Sick of lazy landlords and ridiculous rents? One group of Sheffield students is campaigning to take housing into their own hands.

coop house housing student su union

Sheffield students are set to form the UK’s first housing co-operative.

By taking landlords and letting agencies out of the mix, they hope  to provide students with cheaper and better quality housing, as well as creating a vibrant community for students to live in.

In a statement, Sheffield Student Housing Co-operative stated that “we aren’t alone in this, students across the country are setting up food co-ops, housing co-ops and many other types!”

Would you live here for £81 a week?

They added that there have been many successful co-ops across the pond in the US.

The group are currently looking for houses and additional funding, as well as forming a legal body in the coming week.

A local landlord agreed that “there are landlords out there ripping students off and rents seem very high in lots of cases”.

What it’s all sup-poster be about

However, they also offered a realistic view of the co-op adding that “if the student-led group could get organised it could work, it would be more a case of getting rid of the agencies and running the properties”, also suggesting that guidance may be needed from the SU or Council.

Could the idea work? The Tab hopes it won’t prove to be a house of cards…