“Permanently Living in Transition: Experiences of Share Housing in Inner-city Brisbane”

Abstract

More Australians are turning to share housing to access affordable housing in inner-city locations. While previous research has focussed on the experiences of young adult share house residents, this thesis focusses on residents who are living in share housing in later adulthood. I use qualitative interviews to seek out how people share, what they share and identify some of the challenges that they face in living in an informal housing market. I find that share housing occurs in a variety of forms and offers the potential for residents to live in a variety of ways that are valuable to them. The possibilities for successful sharing are contingent on an individual’s labour position and are limited by the lack of security that comes with living in the private rental sector. I argue that there is a need for housing pathways that address residents’ immediate needs for security and stability, while maintaining flexibility and mobility required to access opportunities. By identifying the needs of these residents this thesis provides a much-needed evidence base that future policy on share housing should include.