Who Are We?

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 co-operative model. We believe that a place to live while studying can be much so more than a share house!! We 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.

We operate across five units in Havelock House, each with 4-7 rooms, and we are a group of 29 students. The co-op is part of an enduring legacy of student activists fighting for affordable places to live. Learn more about cooperatives and see how we’re advocating for affordable student accommodation.

A cozy room with a bed covered in a colorful plaid blanket and pillows, a wooden bookshelf filled with books, a side table with a lamp, a gray upholstered chair, a window with small potted plants on the sill, a radiator, and a striped rug on the floor.

The Basics

  • Rent is paid to Havelock Housing Ltd, and is 373.09 / fortnight. This includes utilities like water, heating, and electricity.

    Kitty is a compulsory financial contribution that must be paid monthly to the Co-operative Bank Account. Kitty is important because it pays for our communal resources i.e., toilet paper, facilities, internet, etc., empty room fees, events, home improvement budgets, etc. This is where we receive almost all of our funds - for us to work as a functional co-operative kitty must be paid. Kitty is $60 a month, and is due on the first Sunday of every month. This is calculated on a weekly basis ($15/week of month).

    This makes the total rent just over $200 / week! That's the best you're gonna get with this location ...

  • With 29 residents, co-op occupies five units at Havelock House. All co-op residents have access to the common spaces of other co-op units, but every resident has exclusive access to their own locked room.

    Each unit has its own kitchen, bathroom, dining and living areas, storage, private bedrooms, and an extra room!

    There is secure bike parking. Car parks are available at a $10/week cost (subject to availability).

    The location is a big selling point! We are 3 mins from Lonsdale St, directly opposite the Eloura St. Tram, and approx 5-10 mins from both the city and the uni!

A salad with sliced radishes, leafy greens, and a light creamy dressing in a metal bowl.

Co-op Benefits

  • A benefit of living in such a diverse, welcoming, and affordable space is the ability to learn how to be an independent adult without the worry of mucking it up. As part of living in the co-op, residents will learn various skills depending on which roles they choose, as well as basic skills like sharehousing experience, cooking, managing budgets, and cleaning!

  • Alongside skill development, there are numerous daily blessings we offer our residents, such as:

    • Bulk Food Supplies (valued at over $2000 / Semester - paid for by each resident's $15/week)

    • Bulk Cleaning Supplies (valued at over $900/ Semester - paid for by each resident's $15/week)

    • Internet

    • Commie (communal dinner mon-thurs weekly)

    • A variety of study spaces

    • Community!!

Two musicians playing acoustic guitars and singing into microphones in a room with colorful, mural-style wall art featuring trees, flowers, and playful characters.

Also …

  • The average weekly cost of on-campus accommodation is $415 / week. We offer student housing for $400 a fortnight. We believe in providing affordable accomodation for students - even if we have to do it ourselves! We are entirely self-run and funded, and are passionate about housing affordability and equity in opportunity for all students.

  • We run our own events; they can be as little or as big as we want. We've held parties, craft nights, consistent study nights, open mic nights ... seemingly most events occur at night. We also do gardening bees and general and reality TV watch parties!

Our Values

The Co-op aims to provide safe and affordable housing to all its residents.

At the Co-op we aim to create an inclusive and safe environment where we value each other’s differences and embrace diversity. We believe that diversity makes our community stronger and more vibrant, and helps us all to grow as individuals as we learn from others’ different experiences and perspectives. The Co-op has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination, harassment and bullying. Please be aware that some people may use different pronouns and/or names in different spaces. We also require all applicants to have an understanding of consent and pronouns.

Group of young adults sitting and lying on the floor and couches in a lively room, watching something out of frame. The room has posters on the wall and large windows letting in natural light.
A garden of freshly tilled soil with some green plants growing, bordered by wooden planks, in front of a brick apartment building with multiple windows and a staircase. Two children and an adult are conversing near the building entrance, with trees and grass in the surroundings.

Our Statement on Diversity:

At the Co-op we aim to create an inclusive and safe environment where we value each other’s differences and embrace diversity. We believe that diversity makes our community stronger and more vibrant, and helps us all to grow as individuals as we learn from others’ different experiences and perspectives. At the Co-op we all play a role in making sure the Co-op is a Safe Space. A Safe Space is an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable to express their individual identities, without being made to feel unwelcome because of their sex, gender identity, race, cultural background, sexuality, sexual practices, religion, or physical or mental ability. The Co-op has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination, harassment and bullying.

Our Policies

The Co-op has an array of policies and formal documents which work to ensure the co-op’s functionality!

We can provide these to you upon request! (It’s just difficult to link them securely)

Constitution

Our Constitution sets out the rules of occupancy and governance at the co-op - it’s essentially the legal framework for our organisation.

Handbook

The handbook functions as your guide to the Co-operative, but also acts as the rule book that guides Co-op operations.

Membership Agreement

This document sets out the rights and responsibilities of all residents of the Canberra Student Housing Cooperative.

Grievance Policy

As part of our commitment to fair treatment for all members, the CSHC has developed policy on grievance procedures and the role of members, Grievance Officers and the Board of Directors.

Safer Spaces Policy

CSHC is a Safer Space, and attempts to create a supportive, non-threatening environment that relies on open-mindedness, respect, and a willingness to learn from others.

A multi-story brick apartment building with a curved staircase outdoors leading to the second floor. There is a small fenced area at the bottom with bicycles and gardening tools. Trees with mostly bare branches surround the building, and the sky is partly cloudy.
An outdoor gathering in a garden area with tables, chairs, and raised garden beds. People are sitting on benches and on the grass, listening to a person speaking near a microphone, with sound equipment set up nearby. Some individuals are standing, and others are seated under trees providing shade.