Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative (ESHC) is a student-run housing co-operative based at Wright’s Houses in Edinburgh, Scotland. The organisation was founded in January 2014 and moved into its premises in August of that year.2 It was established by students seeking to provide an affordable, collectively managed alternative to the private rental market; founding member Mike Shaw described the project’s development in a post first published in February 2015.1
ESHC provides housing for 106 student members across two buildings, arranged as 24 flats.28 Its members own and run the co-operative democratically, sharing responsibility for the day-to-day management of the residential property and community.2 The organisation’s model is based on members’ participation rather than external management: residents contribute to running the co-op and make decisions collectively.28
The co-operative’s activity is centred on student housing in Edinburgh. Its founding account presents the project as a response to housing costs and conditions, with the aim of increasing affordable housing options for students and demonstrating a member-led alternative to private renting.1 ESHC is described as the UK’s largest student-run housing co-operative.17 Its experience also forms part of a broader UK student co-operative movement, with the founding account noting support from organisations within the wider co-operative sector.1