Young co-op members going away to college or university will want to see whether there is a nearby student housing co-op. As a special kind of co-op, student co-ops offer an affordable way of living and a great atmosphere for learning and meeting new people.
Many Canadian university cities benefit from the presence of at least one student co-op:
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Student co-op housing fund
CHF Canada has established a University Student Co-operative Housing Fund. The fund provides loans to assist with the development of co-op housing for university students or to assist existing student co-ops with their housing operations. Other co-ops may qualify for designated student units. Co-ops must be or become CHF Canada members in order to qualify for loans or loan guarantees.
The funds came from a student housing co-operative in British Columbia that closed in 1969. The money was held by the Co-operative Trust Company of Canada until it was transferred to CHF Canada in 1999. For more information about the new fund, contact Karla Skoutajan at kskoutajan@chfcanada.coop.
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An organization for student co-ops
The North American Students of co-operation (NASCO) is an organization of student co-ops – housing and other kinds – in Canada and the United States. NASCO’s services include a newsletter and guidance for developing student co-operatives. Every fall, NASCO hosts a training institute where student co-operators learn and build relationships. It also runs an internship program and makes available lists of job postings in co-operatives to active members. For the staff of student co-ops, NASCO offers informal professional development and a channel for sharing practical information about effective co-op operations.
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Downloadable documents (pdf)
