Research
Research is one of the main ways that Texas Housers has historically utilized its power to fight injustices for low-income households. Here, we have collected our published documents from recent years that dive deeply into housing issues in our state and how we can fix them.
Our mission dictates that we’ve created many tools over our decades-long history and it is important that we make them public, because we believe they can be useful to the general public. However, a small amount of of our older tools are not active actively updating, so they are only to be used with discretion as a snapshot of an issue. If you have any questions, please reach out to us via our contact page.
Reports
Reports and exhibits on the problems and issues related to low income housing and community development in Texas:
Keeping Harris County Housed: An Overview of the Eviction Crisis in Harris County (2024) – This deep dive into 2019-2024 of evictions in Harris County details both what resources were established and rolled back, the effect on low-income households as a result, and how Right To Counsel is a cost-effective and essential resource for tenants who are facing eviction.
How to Improve Housing Tax Credits for Low Income Texans: 2024 QAP Report (2023) – The report focuses on policy changes that can improve the LIHTC program for vulnerable, low income Texans who experience the greatest housing need. This report is intended to remove barriers to participation by demystifying the process and highlighting opportunities for improvement to the benefit of Texas’ lowest income renters.
Renters, Air-Conditioning, and Extreme Heat in Texas (2023) – A brief about the severe shortcomings of governments and landlords in Texas to protect renters against the harmful effects of extreme heat. The report explores presents policy recommendations on the absence of a fundamental right to air conditioning for renters in Texas, the insufficient legal and administrative systems that fail to help tenants when their air conditioning is not working, the challenge of paying the high cost of energy for low-income households, and the ongoing struggle to get air conditioning in all public housing and income restricted rental units in the state of Texas.
Drainage Study Mid-Point Report (2023) – This project was designed to collectively work toward understanding the City of Houston’s drainage spending and infrastructure planning, to equip the community with the necessary data and knowledge to talk to local leadership about ensuring crucial and equitable planning and spending drainage funds in disinvested neighborhoods, which often flood due to historic lack of maintenance and improvements in their area. However, we quickly realized that there were many deficiencies in the City’s own drainage assessment methods, and that it was necessary to pivot the methods of the project to explore this as well.
The purpose of this mid-point report is to record what has been learned by the study group, what challenges we have identified in our approach, and what new questions have emerged about how the City operates and how Houston’s drainage infrastructure is developed, assessed, and maintained.
Emergency Rental Assistance in Texas: How it went and what happens now (2022) – A report on the factors that impacted the performance of local ERA programs in Texas. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s ERA initiative was an unprecedented investment in eviction prevention that allowed state and local governments to stabilize low-income renters facing eviction during the COVID-19 crisis. After the majority of jurisdictions depleted their federal funds, it was critical to assess the successes and failures of ERA.
How to Make the 2023 Tax Credit Housing QAP Work Better for Low-Income Tenants (2022) – An explainer of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) system, how awards are granted through the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), our Texas Housers recommendations on how to improve this system to create the most equitable housing for low-income households.
Ousted: The City of San Antonio’s Displacement of Residents through Code Enforcement Actions (2021) – a report alongside researchers with the UT Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic out of the UT School of Law.
Close Call With Disaster: Lessons from the Hurricane Laura evacuation of a HUD subsidized apartment in Galveston (2021) – a detailed schedule of what happened leading up to, during, and after Hurricane Laura from residents, city officials, and Sandpiper Cove management. The report also has interviews from residents on the day of the evacuation, as well as recommendations to ensure this kind of abandonment of residents does not happen again.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Texas v2.0 (2021) – In addition to tracking the progress of local ERA programs across the state and ranking them, Texas Housers identified several strategies that program administrators and government officials can undertake to ensure their ERA1 funds are allocated in an equitable and timely manner.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Texas v1.0 (2021) – Texas Housers requested information from each of the 36 jurisdictions that administer local ERA programs in Texas. Our report uses the information we received regarding the progress of ERA programs in their first months of operation to evaluate their ability to distribute funds in an equitable and timely manner.
Taking Care Of Texas during COVID-19 (2020) – a white paper with recommendations for statewide action that would help keep low-income renters and homeowners safe and to provide relief as they weather an economic downturn.
Keeping Texans housed during and after the COVID-19 crisis (2020) – a white paper calling on local government officials to adopt policies and practices that prioritize keeping Texans housed, provide resources for low-income renters to meet their obligations, and promote accessible transparent local government
Rental relief programs in major cities and counties (2020) – a white paper identifying the successes and failures in rental relief disbursement.
A Costly And Unequal Burden (2018) – We look at the regulation changes in detail, map the most affected areas under the change, consider how the impact will compound over many years of disasters, and detail our concerns for the impact it will have on low- and moderate-income people.
Older Reports
No Good Choice for Houston’s Housing Choice Voucher Holders (2015) finds that in Texas’ largest city, families who use vouchers are mostly limited to living in low opportunity, minority-concentrated, unsafe neighborhoods.
The 2015 Texas Housing Tax Credit Report (2015) – examines the influence of state representatives and scoring procedures on the locations of tax credit housing.
The Border Low Income Housing Coalition Report (2015) – explores the issues facing Texan and Mexican colonias.
Closing the Gap or Closing the Door? is our report on the failure of Fannie Mae to give low-income and minority families in Dallas/Fort Worth access to home mortgage loans.
Living in Crisis Report (2000) explores the housing crisis in Texas and highlights innovate solutions.
The Public Housing Debate (1998) is our exploration of the history of public housing in Texas.
Dashboards and Storymaps
Interactive data representations and visualizations that connect the dots between research and community.
San Antonio housing need by income vs. SHIP progress (2024) – This dashboard pulls together information about the rate of cost burden and the number of available and affordable units by income level in the San Antonio area, as well as information about how many units the city has produced for each income group through its strategic housing plan. It highlights that the greatest need for housing exists at the lowest income levels, and the city’s progress is not enough to meet this need.
Bexar County Eviction Case Dashboard (2023) – This dashboard is the first ever public facing analysis of all eviction filings in Bexar County. The dashboard tracks eviction filings in 2022, as well as eviction trends over time from 2018 through 2022.
Texas Eviction Diversion Tracker (2022) – A Texas Housers resource that allows users to understand and interpret data related to our efforts to make evictions in Texas rare and fair. The resource currently consists of two dashboards and updating reports:
- Emergency Rental Assistance Dashboard: Tracks the efficiency and equitability of Covid-19 rent relief distribution in Texas.
- Eviction Case Dashboard: Tracks new eviction cases and case rates in Texas’ 254 counties.
The Hillcrest Documentation Project (2021) – Using videos, photography, original documents, and more, we are let into a beautiful community that has taken on attacks from industry and state development which cut right through the heart of Hillcrest, displacing the residents with little options. But through the power of organizing and filing a civil rights complaint, they created far more by themselves than what they were offered.
Unsafe. Unsanitary. Unequal. (2019) – Texas Housers has compiled more than a year of research into three reports that detail the segregation of Project Based Section 8 Rental Assistance in Houston.
A Costly And Unequal Burden (2018) – We look at the regulation changes in detail, map the most affected areas under the change, consider how the impact will compound over many years of disasters, and detail our concerns for the impact it will have on low- and moderate-income people.
Lubbock Voices and Visions (2018) – The Lubbock Voices and Visions project is using the powerful Esri StoryMap platform to combine short video documentaries with corresponding maps, photos and data to reflect and amplify residents’ experiences and voices and to serve as a hub for information about the city. The hope is that this data can help communities reinforce their arguments, using the context of historical patterns of inequality to push for proactive change.
Handouts and Briefs
Simple advocacy guide and briefs on specific areas of Texas Housers’ work.
Renter Profiles
Annually, Texas Housers releases a renter profile of each city council district in a metropolitan area, documenting population size, cost of living, economic and racial data, evictions, and more.
2023 San Antonio Renter Profiles
2022 San Antonio Renter Profiles
2022 Houston PATCHwork District Profiles
General Handouts
An Eviction Crisis In Texas (2023)
Housing Choice Vouchers In Texas (2023)
Who Can’t Afford Housing In Texas (2023)
Low Income Housing Tax Credits In Texas (2023)
Blogs on Research
- A Little Louder Episode 63: How we would fix ‘A.I.’, meaning the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing
Only twice in a decade, Texas reviews its status on fair housing. State officials evaluate how they are affirmatively furthering fair housing, consider the condition… Read more: A Little Louder Episode 63: How we would fix ‘A.I.’, meaning the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing - Right to counsel is a proven, cost-effective, and essential resource for tenants, report from Keep Harris Housed finds
Harris County is experiencing an eviction crisis. The near nationwide-high number of case filings is driven by a multitude of factors, but the basic problem… Read more: Right to counsel is a proven, cost-effective, and essential resource for tenants, report from Keep Harris Housed finds - A Little Louder Episode 62: What’s wrong at Bexar Creek Apartments?
Tenants coming together to organize against poor living condition is the first step and strongest base a renter can make to create change in their… Read more: A Little Louder Episode 62: What’s wrong at Bexar Creek Apartments? - The Gap 2024 highlights the deep shortage of affordable housing in Texas and what must change
The need for affordable housing is as urgent of an issue as it has been in many years. In Texas, we are experiencing this crisis… Read more: The Gap 2024 highlights the deep shortage of affordable housing in Texas and what must change - A Little Louder Episode 61: Unmasking Ownership at Problem Properties
Over the past six months, Texas Housers has spotlighted the stories of uninhabitable conditions and mass evictions at Cabo San Lucas apartments in Houston and the ensuing barriers… Read more: A Little Louder Episode 61: Unmasking Ownership at Problem Properties - One year later, can justice be served in 60 seconds?
Almost one year ago, Texas Housers’ Southeast Texas regional director Julia Orduña wrote about her experiences from the scene of Harris County Justice of the… Read more: One year later, can justice be served in 60 seconds? - Watch Texas Housers’ ‘Energy Equity and Housing’ Panel Livestream Replay!
Texas Housers focused on the impact of energy inequity for low-income households in summer 2023, when Texas faced one of the most extreme heat waves… Read more: Watch Texas Housers’ ‘Energy Equity and Housing’ Panel Livestream Replay! - Join Texas Housers, leaders, and experts on Feb. 23 for our Energy Equity and Housing Panel
Extreme heat in the summer and erratic cold in the winter are both getting worse in Texas. Renters lack some basic legal protections for access… Read more: Join Texas Housers, leaders, and experts on Feb. 23 for our Energy Equity and Housing Panel - When property ownership can hide their identity in LLCs, bad actors thrive and tenants suffer
Over the past six months, Texas Housers has spotlighted the stories of uninhabitable conditions and mass evictions at Cabo San Lucas apartments in Houston and… Read more: When property ownership can hide their identity in LLCs, bad actors thrive and tenants suffer - A Little Louder Episode 60: Tenant’s Rights From Nepal To Denton
While most folks in the housing justice community have a strong idea of how tenant’s rights and evictions shape our broader world, Andrew Nelson, Associate Professor… Read more: A Little Louder Episode 60: Tenant’s Rights From Nepal To Denton - When TDHCA addresses NIMBYism this year, they must focus on solutions that directly benefit low-income people
Every five years, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) must update their Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI). The AI… Read more: When TDHCA addresses NIMBYism this year, they must focus on solutions that directly benefit low-income people - HUD’s voucher programs can’t truly help those they serve without necessary change to ensure access, fairness
In our previous blog covering the Southeast Tenant Information Organization (SETIO), the tenant group formed from residents at Cabo San Lucas apartments and the Redford… Read more: HUD’s voucher programs can’t truly help those they serve without necessary change to ensure access, fairness - Federal housing tax credits don’t always serve those who need them most. Here’s how we change that
Texas Housers is pleased to announce the release of “How to Improve Housing Tax Credits for Low Income Texans: 2024 QAP Report”, a new report… Read more: Federal housing tax credits don’t always serve those who need them most. Here’s how we change that - TxDOT’s first ‘Progress Report’ on I-45 Voluntary Resolution Agreement worthy of Incomplete grade for lack of detail
The lane expansion of I-45 in Houston has been a plan fraught with racism, classism, and environmental hazards, much like the decades’ long history of… Read more: TxDOT’s first ‘Progress Report’ on I-45 Voluntary Resolution Agreement worthy of Incomplete grade for lack of detail - A Little Louder Episode 59: How do we fix what renters are facing in San Antonio?
Annually, Texas Housers’ team in San Antonio releases its San Antonio District Renter Profiles to deliver a snapshot of how affordable rental housing is distributed across the… Read more: A Little Louder Episode 59: How do we fix what renters are facing in San Antonio? - New 2023 Renter Profiles show redrawn San Antonio city council district boundaries cannot hide persistent tenant inequities
With the City of San Antonio completing the redistricting process earlier this year, Texas Housers has released its 2023 Renter Profiles using a similar lens… Read more: New 2023 Renter Profiles show redrawn San Antonio city council district boundaries cannot hide persistent tenant inequities - In its new class, Texas Housers’ Houser Academy forges paths to connect local organizers to each other
In a state as large as Texas, housing advocacy work can often wind up locally isolated. Outside of statewide work like the Texas Legislature, organizing… Read more: In its new class, Texas Housers’ Houser Academy forges paths to connect local organizers to each other - Cabo San Lucas and the Redford tenants unite as Southeast Tenant Information Organization against poor conditions, evictions
In our last blog covering two problematic South Houston apartment complexes, Cabo San Lucas and the Redford, we detailed how tenants prevailed in court against… Read more: Cabo San Lucas and the Redford tenants unite as Southeast Tenant Information Organization against poor conditions, evictions - Texas Housers’ new Bexar County Eviction Case Dashboard explores rising evictions in San Antonio
Created by Mia Loseff and Erin Hahn Texas Housers has officially launched our Bexar County Eviction Case dashboard, which tracks evictions filed in Bexar County… Read more: Texas Housers’ new Bexar County Eviction Case Dashboard explores rising evictions in San Antonio - Texas quietly enabled a revolutionary pre-disaster preparedness plan. Cities and counties need to buy in for it to work.
In 2018, Texas Housers and partner organizations urged the Texas Legislature to pass S.B. 289, a bill that allows local jurisdictions to write and submit… Read more: Texas quietly enabled a revolutionary pre-disaster preparedness plan. Cities and counties need to buy in for it to work. - More new people in charge at Coppertree, but similar issues arise. Tenants are demanding improvements or a pathway out.
The previous blogs in this series examined the deeply challenging and hazardous conditions tenants endured, some for over a decade. They chronicled the journey, highlighting… Read more: More new people in charge at Coppertree, but similar issues arise. Tenants are demanding improvements or a pathway out. - A Little Louder Episode 58: How Texas renters live under extreme heat
High summer temperatures in the Lone Star State are a regular occurrence. However, in recent years, extreme heat has grown more dangerous, with 2023 being… Read more: A Little Louder Episode 58: How Texas renters live under extreme heat - Read our report ‘Renters, Air Conditioning, and Extreme Heat in Texas’
There is no question that summer 2023 contained one of the worst heatwaves that Texans have ever suffered through. News story after news story reported… Read more: Read our report ‘Renters, Air Conditioning, and Extreme Heat in Texas’ - A Little Louder Episode 57: Six years past Harvey, recovery troubles remain
Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Coast six years ago this week, back in 2017. And though certain immediate response efforts were swift, the actual recovery… Read more: A Little Louder Episode 57: Six years past Harvey, recovery troubles remain - Cabo San Lucas Apartments attempted to improperly evict more than 100 residents at once. The tenants fought back and remained housed.
Fair and just trials are not guaranteed for tenants in Texas eviction courts. In reality, landlords often have a upper hand, as the law is… Read more: Cabo San Lucas Apartments attempted to improperly evict more than 100 residents at once. The tenants fought back and remained housed.