Measuring Housing Affordability: A Longitudinal Approach

Abstract

Poor housing affordability is of increasing concern for individuals and their governments across post-industrial countries. This article examines the measurement of housing affordability, to show that conventional point-in-time measures of housing affordability fail to capture the substantial movement that many individuals make into and out of poor affordability over time in our cities and regions. The analysis highlights two very different groups affected by housing affordability stress (HAS)—those who slip in and out for short periods (Slippers), and those who spend extended periods in HAS (Stickers). The article examines their characteristics and the relative urban concentration of housing affordability problems. The article concludes by reflecting on what this approach to conceptualising HAS might mean for future research and policy in our cities and regions.