Housing - under capitalism- has been predominantly viewed as a commodity and an instrument for capital accumulation on the expense of its social function as a place to live. The commodification of housing, fuelled by market dynamics and state support, is considered to be the root of housing problems. This produced a global housing crisis of unaffordability, lack of adequate housing and social segregation among other issues. On a more localized note, the Egyptian housing market is showing similar symptoms of commodification supported by an ever-strong real estate market blessed by the state. Under the umbrella of the new urban commons and the right to the city, “Housing-as-commons” are being posed as an alternative beyond the state and market. This paper focuses on the potential of the commons to present an answer to the Egyptian housing problem particularly in light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - currently guiding all development plans in Egypt. Decommodification and self-organization- being the principles of housing commons- are used as criteria to reflect on Egyptian housing models specifically co-operative housing. The aforementioned analysis, guided with international case studies lays the base for the paper to discuss the potential of up-scaling this model as a de-commodified mainstream model of housing provision.