Mr. Brendan O'Connor:

To be clear, this was requested by the couple in question. They are separated and are living separately. The idea of a house for the family is not relevant to this case study. We included that example to highlight the complexity of some of the cases we are dealing with.

In this case, the solution would be to rent.

I take the point on total mortgage debt. I also happen to know some of the details of the particular case. The mortgage was originated on the basis of a significantly greater gross annual salary. The person in question was employed in the construction industry at the time. While I am not refuting the core principle, the salary when the mortgage was originated was not quite at the multiples that may appear from this case study. In this case, the best option presumably would be to rent in the locale. Allowing for rent in the locale in question, I suspect this option is doable, while social housing is another option. A mortgage is not, however, an option in terms of sustaining a mortgage across two households.