A new report states that Houston and Harris County residents face “an escalating affordability crisis.” Published by The Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, the 2026 State of Housing report tracks trends in home rentals and homeownership, new developments, insurance rates, and evictions. Photo by City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department.
A new report indicates it is getting harder for Houston residents to find an affordable place to live.
The Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University released its seventh annual State of Housing report on June 16. The report focused on trends in renting and homeownership, demographic shifts and rising concerns about insurance costs in Houston and Harris County.
Data in the report indicated that Harris County saw its largest decline in homeownership since 2010.
According to the Institute, the trend is especially concerning for Black homeowners. The report states that a record decline in Black homeowner households in Houston has “serious implications for the already stark racial wealth gap.”
Data in the report show that though housing prices have stabilized, the cost of homeownership has not, with insurance costs rising.
Flood insurance requirements will also become an added expense for the 28% of homes now included in expanded FEMA floodmaps.
The report also found that a majority of renters in Houston and Harris County are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent.
During a webinar in which the Kinder Institute unveiled the report, Kinder Institute research scientist Steve Sherman gave an overview of topline findings.
“We’ve crossed the Rubicon here,” Sherman said in his presentation. “We haven’t had a majority of cost-burdened renters in both geographies before. This signals the problems local renters have, meaning not just the rent itself, but also the necessary costs of living.”
Data also showed that eviction filings remain high, another notable sign of stress, according to Sherman.
“Rent and home costs may not be skyrocketing,” he said, “but the signs of stress for homeowners and renters become evident when you look at other indicators like insurance costs, cost-burden rate and evictions.”
During the webinar, Amy Connolly, chief of staff and assistant director at the City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department, said that the city is working on programs to address concerns, but funding could be an issue.
“The majority of our funds are coming from the federal government, and sometimes that funding seems a little shaky,” Connolly said. “It just feels like the amount of money that we have is getting shorter and shorter.”
Tory Gunsolley, the chief program officer for Harris County Housing and Community Development, said the county, like the city, has multiple programs in progress that respond to concerns raised by the report.
Gunsolley listed eviction diversion programs, rental assistance for those experiencing homelessness, and production programs for multi- and single-family housing units as examples.
“I think the biggest thing that we’re doing is actually working with the city hand-in-hand on a strategy for the future so that we can partner better, partner consistently, and figure out which entities are most effective at doing which parts of this interconnected puzzle,” Gunsolley said.
He also described disaster recovery funds as a source of money that calls for careful allotment.
“I think what we both want to do, the city and the county, is be more strategic in how we spend those funds so that we can actually make a real dent in this affordability problem,” Gunsolley said.
During the webinar, the Kinder Institute also unveiled the Houston and Harris County housing dashboard, a joint project with the City of Houston, Harris County and their respective housing departments. The dashboard contains additional data not found in the report.
The Kinder Institute also released a survey snapshot earlier this month focusing on housing affordability and instability in Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery counties.