The 2020 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston

This first State of Housing report compares how dozens of key housing indicators in Harris County and Houston have shifted between 2010 and 2018.

The Kinder Institute’s inaugural State of Housing in Harris County and Houston report provides a consistent and accessible baseline of information about housing-related issues to all Houstonians. This report will be updated annually to track shifts in how the housing system in our region is changing. This first report compares how dozens of key housing indicators have shifted between 2010 and 2018. Subsequent annual reports will add the latest year of data to the analysis and track trends over time. To see indicators at the community level visit the Houston Community Data Connections State of Housing Dashboard.

Harris County and Houston have a reputation for housing affordability, but many of the findings of this report show that this affordability is disappearing. Current homeowners are somewhat cushioned from this shift as the values of homes have risen throughout the county, increasing the value of many households’ biggest asset. The loss of affordability is falling heaviest on renters. Middle-income renters, those traditionally expected to enter into homeownership, are finding themselves without the resources to buy even a median-priced home in Houston or Harris County, thus forcing them to remain as renters. Low-income renters face quickly increasing rents across the county and are squeezed into the few areas where affordable rentals still exist. For low-income renters, homeownership is a near-impossibility without significant public subsidy.

Other key findings include:

  • There are more renters than homeowners in the city of Houston and renters are nearing a majority in all of Harris County.
  • Nearly half the renter households in Harris County are spending more than 30% of their income on housing, classifying them as cost-burdened.
  • A quarter of homes face significant flood risk and the number is likely to grow as new maps expand mapped floodplains.
  • Black homeownership dropped significantly in the Great Recession and lags far behind White, Hispanic, and Asian homeownership rates.
  • Harris County is the center of the region’s job and economic activity, but the population is growing at a faster rate outside of the county. This spatial mismatch between work and home results in major transportation costs for Harris County households.
  • Trends in the construction of new housing show growing multi-family supply. While many units are being built, they tend to be higher priced, and existing affordable units are declining.
  • Growth of people over the age of 65 and those with disabilities may present housing and service provision challenges to both Harris County and the city of Houston.
  • Heads of households between the ages of 25 and 39 are settling equally between Harris County and the city of Houston, though families with children continue to locate outside of the city.
  • Both Harris County and the city of Houston are seeing more people of different income levels living in close proximity. At the same time, many predominantly high-income and low-income areas have seen income-based residential segregation intensify. 

On October 15, the Kinder Institute hosted a workshop with residents, housers, public officials and other stakeholders to solicit input about how to refine the State of Housing report for the 2021 version.

The Kinder Institute is grateful to Wells Fargo for its lead and ongoing support of the annual State of Housing in Harris County and Houston research.

SUPPORTING MATERIALS
Homeownership and Mortgage
Sep. 10, 2020 DATA STORY : Houston Community Data Connections
RELATED EVENT
Webinar: 2020 State of Housing in Houston and Harris County
Jun. 23, 2020

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research shared findings from its inaugural State of Housing in Houston and Harris County report.

HOUSING
RELATED URBAN EDGE
As rents and home prices go up, once-affordable Houston grows less accessible
RESEARCH :  Jun. 23, 2020

Dozens of key housing indicators in Houston and Harris County shifted between 2010 and 2018, and in just the past several months the area has been hit by parallel economic and public health crises that have slowed home sales, disrupted the rental market and halted new development, making it even more difficult for many area residents to find affordable housing.

COVID 19 AND CITIES | DEMOGRAPHICS | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
RELATED RESEARCH
Houston MetroRail
Where Affordable Housing and Transportation Meet in Houston
May. 5, 2020

While local decision-makers and individuals tend to view housing and transportation separately, effectively addressing affordability for Houstonians means considering housing and transportation expenses together.

TRANSPORTATION | HOUSING | URBAN DISPARITY
RELATED RESEARCH
Housing Choice Voucher Mobility
Housing Choice Voucher Mobility in Houston
Oct. 10, 2019

This report identifies patterns in the household movements of residents who hold Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) in Harris County. It identifies who among the voucher holders are moving, where they are moving to and from, and whether or not these moves are related to attempts to access opportunity or to avoid pressures such as gentrification, flood risk, and high rents.

HOUSING
IN THE NEWS
Harris County works to keep coronavirus-fueled evictions from growing
Jun. 16, 2020 - HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Housing affordability in Houston and Harris County is declining, especially for renters
Jun. 23, 2020 - RICE NEWS
Home ownership increasingly out of reach of region’s renters
Jun. 23, 2020 - HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Living in Houston is getting expensive, study shows
Jun. 23, 2020 - ABC 13
New data shows nearly $29M in lost rent, grim housing outlook for Houston
Jun. 24, 2020 - HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Houston renters face severe financial hurdles to buying a home, Kinder Institute finds
Jun. 24, 2020 - HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL
Task force to address housing instability in Houston metro
Jun. 24, 2020 - ABC 13
Special Edition: Kinder Institute Director Bill Fulton and Dr. Peter Hotez (June 24, 2020)
Jun. 24, 2020 - HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA
Harris County resumes eviction proceedings as nearly $29 million in unpaid rent claims filed
Jun. 25, 2020 - THE CENTER SQUARE
Homeownership Rates Falling Fastest for Black Houstonians
Jul. 10, 2020 - COURTHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
'These are my people': Investor buys Fifth Ward block to seek preservation, not gentrification
Jul. 29, 2020 - HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Pres. Trump ends housing rule, tenants may now face eviction amid COVID-19 pandemic
Jul. 31, 2020 - ABC 13
How new development will affect the future of the Heights
Aug. 23, 2020 - ABC 13
Study shows how commutes have gotten longer for Harris County drivers
Sep. 17, 2020 - ABC 13
Houston’s Lack Of Affordable Housing Is Contributing To Its Unusually High Eviction Rate
Nov. 24, 2020 - BISNOW
Missing Middle Housing Is A Huge Opportunity Offering Resilient Investment And High Demand
Feb. 17, 2021 - FORBES
RELATED INITIATIVES
State of Housing

The Kinder Institute’s State of Housing in Harris County and Houston reports provide annual updates across a variety of housing-related indicators tracking shifts in the region's housing system. 

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