From L-R: Catherine B. Villarreal, Carlie Brown, Caroline Cheong, and Nancy Rojas. Photo credit: Latin Touch Media
Housing is more than a roof over our heads—it’s where stability, opportunity, and community begin. Yet, for many Houstonians, the dream of secure housing feels increasingly out of reach. On October 28, Houston Community Media hosted an in-depth briefing to explore the city’s housing landscape—looking at homeownership trends, rental realities, and the growing crisis of homelessness. Experts from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Harris County, and local housing organizations came together to share data, insights, and solutions aimed at ensuring every Houstonian has a place to call home.
PANELISTS:
Caroline Cheong, Associate Director, Center for Housing & Neighborhoods, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University: “Every year the Kinder Institute releases a report called the State of Housing in Houston and Harris County… to understand what is going on from the renter perspective, the owner perspective, and a neighborhood perspective.”
Key takeaways:
Housing and Neighborhoods: Cost of renting is a greater burden to more people, more homeowners buying further out of reach, and neighborhoods are shrinking as county grows.
Rental insurance still low. Home insurance premiums increased by 40% over 3 years and only scheduled to keep increasing.
Climate Issues: 17 neighborhoods where 500K people live can’t stand severe climate issues because no plumbing, A/C (central air), older homes, etc.
Climate disasters and housing costs and difficulty paying: 1 in 5 single family homes in flood risk areas.
Vulnerable people living in vulnerable places.
“I am hopeful… lots of creative ideas… times of great stress allow for creativity, positive ideas and opportunity to address and talk about affordability. Lots of hope out there.”
Nancy Rojas, Senior Program Manager, Single Family Housing Development, Harris County Housing and Community Development: “Our department mainly focuses on creating, preserving, and assisting in the homeownership reservation for vulnerable families in Harris County.”
$124 Million to assist1,000 families’ homes for rehabilitation. Lots of programs for families who qualify for homebuying programs. Educate and counsel homebuyers – you’re not just buying a house, but you also must maintain it. The goal is to preserve and create affordable housing.
Catherine Villareal, Vice President of Public Affairs, Coalition for the Homeless Houston:
9 Things to Know:
- Coordinated homeless response called “Way Home” – work to ake homelessness rare and brief.
- Lead agency of “Way Home” is Coalition for the Homeless Houston.
- Last count, 3,225 experience homelessness in Harris, Ft. Bend, and Montgomery County. Sleeping on streets and in shelters.
- Common reason for homelessness “economic factors” – for instance Every 100 households only 37 apartments affordable.
- Since 2012, Way Home program has housed 35,000 people experiencing homelessness.
- Housing with supportive services solves homelessness.
- Most funding for Houston Way Home – homeless response comes from the federal government.
- Funding is in Danger!
- Good news! As of today, haven’t lost funding yet!
Carlie Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston
Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston is a supportive service. “Homelessness is not caused by one thing — it is usually the interaction of many different factors, health being one of them.”
“Houston is the most uninsured city in the United States — more than one-third of Houstonians don’t have any form of health insurance.”
“There is a misconception that only mental illness or substance use causes homelessness — health instability can cause housing instability, and housing instability can cause health instability.”
“Hospitals are discharging people with nowhere to go — we routinely see people released in hospital gowns with monitors still attached, directly onto the street.”
“All of our care is provided free of cost… more than 80% of the people we see have no form of health insurance.”
If this conversation proved anything, it’s that Houston’s housing story is ever-evolving—and its next chapter depends on the community’s collective action. With collaboration across public agencies, nonprofits, and residents alike, Houston has the opportunity not only to house its people but to reaffirm the values of dignity and inclusion because when every resident has a place to belong, the entire city thrives. – Kim Floyd
Photos courtesy of Latin Touch Media
