Australian housing market: a descriptive study on key issues around housing affordability relevance to international university students in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Accommodation plays a crucial role in the attainment of quality education. International students are not eligible for housing benefits in most developed countries, including Australia. This, coupled with most Australian universities’ non-residential student accommodation policy, increases the housing affordability implications to international students. This study looks at the housing affordability experience of international students studying at three major public universities in Melbourne, including the University of Melbourne, Victoria University, and Monash University, to examine issues surrounding housing affordability relevance to international university students and their future prospects. This descriptive cross-sectional study employed a semi-structured survey questionnaire consisting of close and open-ended questions to collect data. The data was gathered from 100 international students. The responses to open-ended questions were quantified using content analysis and data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The study found the majority of international students experience housing affordability issues in Melbourne. To cope with high accommodation costs, the international students share rooms with other students at the expense of diminished privacy and accommodation congestion. Also, the evidence suggests financial stress and having to live in substandard accommodation has a detrimental effect on international students’ personal development. The data gathered from open-ended questions further observed that most of the student’s expectations of living in individual rentals changed after arriving in Australia to shared-room accommodation due to lower housing affordability. Most international university students feel insecure about their outlook in Australia due to lower housing affordability, and accommodation costs will be a top consideration in their future decisions involving settlement in foreign countries.