Housing Vulnerabilities in Houston

Unsafe or unstable housing continues to threaten the health, well-being, and economic security of Houston-area residents. 

Many low-income households lack the necessary resources to afford soaring rents and bounce back from disasters, leaving them more vulnerable to unsafe housing conditions, eviction or even homelessness.

Why housing vulnerabilities matter to Houston

Hundreds of thousands of Houston-area residents face housing insecurity, vulnerability and inequity. For the most part, these are our neighbors who are burdened by housing costs, face economic insecurity, and have been negatively impacted by multiple devastating disasters. These challenges ultimately increase a household’s vulnerability to the next crisis, which can perpetuate a cycle of housing challenges and instability.

The lack of affordable housing located in high-opportunity areas (i.e., places with reliable access to transportation, abundant employment opportunities, excellent public schools, and access to other resources) is among the greatest drivers of housing insecurity and vulnerability. Natural disasters also contribute to housing vulnerabilities because they tend to damage or destroy the “naturally occurring” supply of affordable housing. Houston-area households have been hit with multiple devastating crises such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri in 2021. Research has found that neighborhoods with greater pre-existing housing inequities see such inequities exacerbated by disasters because the homes are less able to withstand or recover from flooding or strong winds in the first place — for several reasons, including location (e.g., in a floodplain), infrastructure disinvestment (e.g., lack of storm drainage), use of low-quality materials, or because of damage caused by previous disasters. These obstacles can lead to unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions, overcrowding, evictions, or even homelessness.

By exploring and understanding housing vulnerabilities in Houston, we can take informed action to increase access to disaster-resilient, safe and affordable housing throughout our region.

The data

Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 caused a spike in housing problems

Low-income households are more likely to sacrifice quality for cost by living in housing units that have structural issues or deficiencies. Housing problems include units with an incomplete kitchen that lacks running water, stove, or refrigerator, or plumbing that lacks hot and cold piped water, a flush toilet, or a bathtub/shower.

Housing problems contribute to various health conditions, injuries and poor childhood development. Plumbing issues increase the likelihood of water leaks that promote the growth of mold, which negatively affects respiratory health and increases the likelihood of asthma. Corroded plumbing can increase the risk of lead exposure or poisoning.1

About 0.5% of occupied housing units in Greater Houston (nearly 11,000 homes) did not have complete plumbing, and 0.7% (nearly 16,000 units) did not have a complete kitchen. Breaking down the data by county in 2021: About 80 units had incomplete plumbing and 500 had incomplete kitchens in Fort Bend County; nearly 8,500 units had incomplete plumbing and nearly 13,000 had incomplete kitchens in Harris County; and about 2,300 units had incomplete plumping and 2,300 had incomplete kitchens in Montgomery County.

While Houston-area renters are generally more likely to have incomplete kitchens than homeowners, the number of Houston-area housing units with housing problems increased more for homeowners than renters in 2021. This is likely the result of record-breaking Winter Storm Uri that knocked out power and water, caused frozen pipes to burst, and flooded homes across Texas for nearly five days in February 2021. Harris County experienced the worst effects of the storm, but homeowners in Montgomery County experienced the greatest increase in housing problems, according to estimates from the 2021 American Community Survey. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of housing units with incomplete plumbing increased 66% in Houston’s three-county region compared to 13% across the nation; and the number of housing units with incomplete kitchens increased 22% in the region while it remained flat nationally.

Read more about the impact of natural disasters in Houston

Between 2019 and 2021, the number of housing units with incomplete plumbing increased 66% in Houston’s three-county region compared to 13% across the nation

One out of 10 Houston-area households that rent are overcrowded

Overcrowding refers to the compromised health and safety conditions that occur when many people live in a given space (one or more occupants per room). Families will often crowd in with relatives and friends to avoid homelessness, but people need sufficient space to meet their basic needs. Studies have shown that overcrowding has a negative impact on physical and mental health, and that it can impede early childhood growth, development and education.2

Overall, 6% of occupied housing units in Houston’s three-county area are considered overcrowded in 2021, compared to 5% statewide and 3% nationally. Overcrowding is a bigger issue among renters than homeowners — about 10% of Houston-area renter households are overcrowded compared to nearly 4% of homeowners.

Among the three counties, Harris County has the most overcrowding. Nearly 7% of occupied housing units in Harris County are overcrowded, compared to 5% in Montgomery County and 4% in Fort Bend County.

Since 2010, overcrowding has improved across the nation, state, and Montgomery County. Fort Bend County saw overcrowding among renters increase 2.5 percentage points in 2021 over 2010. Going forward, however, it remains an issue, especially in Harris County and for renters across Houston.

Eviction filings in Harris County surpass pre-pandemic levels

An eviction filing is a legal process in which a landlord delivers a written “notice to vacate” and files legal action to evict a tenant from a rental property. Many eviction filings happen because the tenant is late in paying rent, not paying rent at all, or for other reasons listed in the terms of the lease agreement such as damage to the property or illegal use of the property. However, in most American cities and towns, landlords can evict renters even if they have not missed a rent payment or otherwise violated their lease agreement; these are called “no fault” evictions, according to Eviction Lab at Princeton University.

Increasing housing cost burden, low wages and an overall lack of affordable housing are among the root causes of evictions. Low-income families, low-income women, domestic violence survivors, and families with children are at high risk for eviction. Evictions force families from their community and support network, and children often have to switch schools. It can also cause job loss, adverse mental health effects, and the loss of possessions. Moreover, evictions can prolong a family’s residential instability as it harms the ability to secure future housing (because of court records) and forces low-income families into a devastating cycle of homelessness, problems that often take years to overcome, if at all.3

The total number of eviction filings across Houston’s three counties rose 5% in 2018 to 68,700 cases from 65,000 cases in 2010. (For comparison, the total number of renter-occupied households increased 20% between 2010 and 2018.)

In 2018, 8% of renter households in Harris County had an eviction court filing, above both the state and national rate of 6% and nearly 8%, respectively. Eviction filing rates were 7.0% in Fort Bend and 6.4% in Montgomery counties.

Between 2010 and 2018, the eviction filing rate fell by 20% in Fort Bend and 15% in Harris County. In addition, both Montgomery County and Texas saw eviction filings decline by 7% over the same period, while nationally the rate declined by 17%.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, evictions were suspended across Texas from March 19 to May 18, 2020, though landlords could still give notice of eviction to tenants and file for eviction. In fact, more than 1,500 eviction cases were filed in Harris County during this period, according to January Advisors. Despite the CDC eviction moratorium that took effect on September 4, 2020, only 13% of defendants in Harris County benefited from the mandate. Local eviction filings have since begun to rise and have surpassed their pre-pandemic levels. Between 1,000 and 2,000 eviction cases are filed weekly in Harris County in 2022, according to the Harris County Evictions Dashboard from January Advisors.

Read more about the impact of COVID-19 in Houston

Between 1,000 and 2,000 eviction cases are filed weekly in Harris County in 2022

Homelessness in the Houston area falls 63% in the last decade

Research has shown that homelessness has long-term consequences, especially to one’s physical and mental health.4,5 Additionally, the public costs incurred from homelessness can be significant for both health and human services and law enforcement. The Coalition for the Homeless Houston/Harris County estimates the taxpayer cost for each person experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Houston is $41,000 annually.

According to HUD, there are four categories of homelessness: 1) people who lack nighttime residence and are living in a place not meant for human habitation; 2) those at imminent risk of homelessness and about to lose their home without any other resource; 3) unaccompanied youth under the age of 25 with no stable housing; and 4) people who flee domestic violence with no other residence or support network.

Additionally, people who experience homelessness can be classified as “sheltered” or “unsheltered.” People who are sheltered, whether they are staying at a homeless shelter in Houston or sleeping on a friend’s couch, typically reside in an emergency shelter or transitional housing, while people who are unsheltered reside in a place not meant for human habitation, such as outdoors or in a condemned building.

How many people are experiencing homelessness in Houston? Since 2011, homelessness in Harris County has fallen from 8,000 to under 3,000 in 2022. That’s a 63% decrease, while Fort Bend has seen an 84% decline. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County has also seen an overall decline since 2017, when data started being reported. Even more significant, levels of homelessness in our region fell during a period characterized by one of the largest increases in population in Houston.

63% decline in Houston-area homelessness between 2011 and 2022

However, in 2022 there was an increase in the unsheltered population, and for the first time, the unsheltered population outnumbered the sheltered. Almost half the homeless population in Harris County in 2022 was unsheltered. According to the 2022 annual count, about 3,200 Houston-area residents were without a home on any given night.

Certain groups remain at greater risk of experiencing homelessness than others. What percentage of homeless people are veterans in Greater Houston? Among the people who experienced homelessness in Houston’s three-county region in 2020,6  5% were veterans. Additionally, 5% were unaccompanied youth, and 20% were considered chronically homeless. HUD defines chronically homeless as experiencing homelessness for at least 12 months or on at least four separate occasions in the last three years (for a total of 12 months). The rate of people who are categorized as chronically homeless in Greater Houston was higher than the state (15%) but similar to the nation (21%).

The Coalition for the Homeless surveyed people who experienced homelessness in Houston’s three-county area for the annual homeless count and survey, also known as the Point-in-Time Count (PIT), on January 24, 2022. The report found 11% of people experiencing homelessness in the Houston area are under the age of 18, and 84% are over the age of 24; 52% of the local homeless population is Black and 43% is white (including both non-Hispanic whites and whites with Hispanic ethnicity). Additionally, 31% suffer from a serious mental illness; 27% suffer from a substance use disorder; and 16% are victims/survivors of domestic violence, and 2% are HIV-positive.

Helpful Articles by Understanding Houston:

Resources

References:

  1. World Health Organization & World Plumbing Council. (‎2006)‎. Health aspects of plumbing. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/43423
  2. Solari, C. D., & Mare, R. D. (2012). Housing crowding effects on children’s wellbeing. Social science research, 41(2), 464–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2011.09.012
  3. Desmond, M., Gershenson, C., & Kiviat, B. (2015). Forced Relocation and Residential Instability among Urban Renters. Social Service Review, 89(2), 227–262. https://doi.org/10.1086/681091
  4. Currie, J., & Tekin, E. (2015). Is There a Link between Foreclosure and Health? American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 7(1), 63–94. https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20120325
  5. Shinn, M., Schteingart, J. S., Williams, N. C., Carlin-Mathis, J., Bialo-Karagis, N., Becker-Klein, R., & Weitzman, B. C. (2008). Long-Term Associations of Homelessness With Children’s Well-Being. American Behavioral Scientist, 51(6), 789–809. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764207311988
  6. Analysis of 2020 data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) because the data for 2021 did not include unsheltered counts in its report due to COVID-19 restrictions.