擁有自有房屋是許多人重要的願望，因此擁屋力的探討乃成為許多住宅研究的焦點之一。在民國77年與78年間，臺灣地區的住宅價格快速上漲，此一現象已使得許多中低所得居民難以負擔。雖然最近房價的波動較為緩和，但其價位仍然偏高，使得許多家庭無法購得住屋。為瞭解與闡釋都會區居民擁屋力，本研究乃就誰的擁屋力、以及什麼房屋、什麼住宅價格與什麼支付條件的擁屋力等四項問題的探討，嘗試給予都會區擁屋力適當的定義。依據此一詮釋方式，我們以容易地建構都會區擁屋力衡量值之計算方式，並以臺北都會區為例說明其應用方式與計算結果。

　　　　　To own a house is a great wish for many persons. Thus, housing affordability becomes a focus that many researchers are interested in. In 1988 and 1989, the housing prices have risen sharply in Taiwan District. The results of escalating housing prices make it difficult to find an affordable house for many middle and low income families. Although the fluctuation of housing prices slows down recently, the housing price level is still so high that many households can not afford to buy a house. In order to realize and interpret the housing affordability in metropolitan area, this study tries to define the meaning of housing affordability with the following questions: affordability of whom? Of what house? Of what price? And at what payment conditions? According to the new interpretation, a measure of housing affordability in metropolitan area is easily created, and an empirical study of Taipei metropolis is shown at last.