Understanding the lived experiences of housing and transport stress in the “affordable” outer ring: a case study of Melbourne, Australia

Australia’s large cities have some of the least affordable housing markets in the world. Australian home buyers are increasingly trading accessibility for affordability in the suburban fringe. This paper presents data collected in 73 qualitative interviews conducted across three strategically selected outer-ring suburbs in Melbourne, Australia. The findings illustrate how the combined impacts of housing and transportation costs are experienced in everyday life, including the residential and lifestyle choices, trade-offs and adaptations people must make.