Houston’s Housing Paradox

Housing is one of the most basic human needs, but it is also one of the most challenging to meet in today’s urban environment. In Houston, many residents struggle to find a decent and affordable place to live, especially those who earn low incomes or face other barriers. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this problem, as many people lost their jobs or income and faced eviction or foreclosure. How can Houston fix its housing crisis and make sure everyone has a place to live that is safe and stable? What are some of the solutions that different groups, like the city government, nonprofits, developers, and community groups, have come up with or put into action? And how will the upcoming mayoral election affect the future of housing policy in Houston?

Houston is facing a severe housing affordability crisis, especially for low-income renters. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Home Ownership Affordability Monitor (HOAM), affordability declined by 25.2 percent in April 2022 compared to a year earlier. This is the largest decline on record, going back to 2006. The HOAM also shows that Houston has one of the lowest affordability indexes among major metro areas in the Southeast. Moreover, according to the Southeastern Rental Affordability Tracker (SRAT), Houston has a large gap between the number of low-income renter households and the number of affordable rental units available for them. The SRAT estimates that only 29 percent of renter households earning less than $20,000 per year can find an affordable unit in Houston.

Houston's housing crisis can be fixed in a number of ways, such as by increasing the number of affordable housing units, lowering regulatory barriers, helping people pay their rent, and supporting programs that help people become homeowners. Some examples of programs that are already in place or that are being considered are the Houston Public Housing Program and the Voucher Program (Section 8), which help low-income families pay for housing. The Houston Community Land Trust, which helps low-income residents buy homes and stay in their neighborhoods by retaining ownership of the land and ensuring long-term affordability. We also have homeless shelters and transitional housing programs that give homeless people and their families a place to stay temporarily and help them.

The mayoral election, which could influence the city’s policies and priorities on housing issues, is coming up this year in November. In terms of affordable housing projects, we are leaving behind one of the most dishonest mayors in Houston's history, so we hope that the next mayor will be able to make a lot of progress. Some of the candidates have said what they think should be done to make Houston homes more affordable, but it’s still currently very hard to find any information on the candidates, especially concrete policy proposals. This election could be a big deal for the future of housing in the city, and I really hope that from now until November, we can talk more about housing policy.

The housing crisis in Houston is a complicated and urgent issue that affects the lives of millions of people and their quality of life. It requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach that involves multiple actors and strategies. The city government has a big role to play in making and enforcing policies that help build, keep, and get affordable housing. The nonprofit sector is very important when it comes to helping people with low incomes and other problems. The private sector has a big part to play in investing in and coming up with new ways to make housing more affordable. And the community has an important role to play in housing projects that help their neighborhoods by getting involved and giving their support. The mayoral election is an opportunity for Houstonians to voice their opinions and preferences on housing issues and to elect a leader who will prioritize them. The future of Houston’s housing depends on the choices we make today.

More on Housing Affordability across the country here: https://www.atlantafed.org/center-for-housing-and-policy/data-and-tools/home-ownership-affordability-monitor

No Bull is the only media outlet that aims for Houstonians in every part of town to live in cozy, secure, and charming communities. As such, No Bull is supported solely by readers like you and corporate sponsorships. If you would like to contribute to urbanism advocacy and coverage in Houston, you can donate here. I’ll be back on Friday with more about our great city.

P.S. Happy March! Go Coogs!

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