Texas’ housing shortage is getting worse, report says
Texas builds more homes than other states but hundreds of thousands more are still needed, the report said, contributing to higher housing costs. Full Story
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![New home construction in north Longview's Hidden Hills subdivision on December 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune -
Five things to know about Texas’ housing crisis
The Texas Tribune examined the state’s housing affordability crisis and why the state has struggled to build enough homes to meet demand. Full Story
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![San Antonio neighborhoods on May 25, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
How 11 Texas cities made housing unaffordable — and what’s being done to fix it
Texas desperately needs more and denser housing to keep up with the demand. But zoning restrictions get in the way, a Texas Tribune analysis found. Full Story
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![Share art for the zoning regulations story for the affordable housing series.]()
Credit: Carla Astudillo -
Texas’ high housing costs sparked a movement to bring them down. The fight could shape the state for years to come.
A new breed of activists wants Texas to tame costs by building more housing. But longstanding opposition to such policies remains strong. Full Story
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![Council members and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson are present in person during the Austin city council meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Austin. Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, Paige Ellis, Mackenzie Kelly, Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool and José "Chito" Vela were in person with Mayor Kirk Watson]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Affected by Texas’ high home prices and rents? We want to talk to you
The Texas Tribune is writing about the state’s housing affordability crisis. Help us tell the story. Full Story
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![A residential neighborhood seen Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Midland.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas must build hundreds of thousands of homes to lower housing costs, says state comptroller
Texas needs hundreds of thousands more homes than it has, per one estimate. That shortage has driven up home prices and rents. Full Story
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![A San Antonio neighborhood on Saturday, May 25, 2024.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Nine out of 10 Texans say housing costs too much, poll finds
Some Texas lawmakers have signaled an appetite to tackle the state’s housing affordability crisis when they convene next year. Full Story
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![Downtown San Antonio on May 25, 2025.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
As more Texans struggle with housing costs, homeownership becoming less attainable
A new housing report from Harvard University found that would-be homebuyers need to make more money than ever if they want to buy a home in Texas’ urban areas. Full Story
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![Construction workers build houses in the new Teravista neighborhood in Georgetown, TX on May 18, 2016.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
With new platform, Texas Democrats may find common ground with Republicans on housing affordability crisis
The Democrats’ recently approved platform includes calls to loosen zoning rules, which housing experts believe contribute to high housing costs. Full Story
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![An apartment complex in downtown Waco on Feb. 26, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Texas legislators want to help property owners deal with squatters. But the changes could affect tenants.
Housing advocates say Texas laws fall short when it comes to property trespassers but they warn changes could worsen the state’s evictions crisis. Full Story
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![Terri Boyette, a homeowner in Mesquite, poses for a photo after testifying on squatting before the Senate Committee on Local Government on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 in Austin. Boyerte fought for months to get a squatter out of her home but laws regarding squatters prevented her from doing much for months.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Austin enacts sweeping reforms to cut down housing costs
City leaders and advocates hope reducing the size of lots used to build homes will increase housing supply. Full Story
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![An attendee listens and takes notes as people testify during an Austin city council meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Austin. Attendees spent hours at Austin City Hall as the council went through numerous testimonies.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Push to enforce occupancy rule in College Station highlights Texas A&M students’ housing woes
The new fines underscore the challenges college students face when looking for affordable housing — and how cities struggle to provide it. Full Story
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![Ethan Tan, center right, and his roommates stand for a portrait on their front porch in College Station, Texas on Wednesday, April 23, 2024.]()
Credit: Ishika Samant for The Texas Tribune -
Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Harris County to block program that would give cash to poorest households
The program would give roughly 1,900 households payments of $500 for 18 months with no strings attached. Paxton called it “plainly unconstitutional.” Full Story
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![The Houston skyline in November, 2017.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Republicans’ budding interest in Texas’ housing crisis could create strange political bedfellows
Republican lawmakers may try to force Texas cities to allow greater housing density as the state faces a housing crunch. Full Story
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![An Aerial image of a suburban neighborhood in San Marcos on October 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Why some Texas cities are getting rid of their minimum parking rules
Most cities require homes and businesses to have parking. Critics say they drive up housing costs, foster car dependency and raise carbon emissions. Full Story
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![An apartment parking lot in East Austin on Saturday, March 16, 2024.]()
Credit: John Jordan/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott wants the Texas Legislature to rein in investors behind large-scale home purchases
So-called institutional homebuyers noticeably ramped up home purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. But housing experts point out investors have retreated amid high interest rates. Full Story
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![A construction worker, who declined to give their name, rolls up hosing as they work on building a home at a new housing development Saturday, March 12, 2022 in Odessa, Texas.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
An East Texas town has put strict limits on mobile homes — again
The Huntington City Council has flip flopped twice on a mobile home ordinance since 2020. Full Story
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![Rita Kromer, a longtime resident of Huntington, Texas, lives in a mobile home after losing her traditional brick house in a fire.]()
Credit: Joel Andrews for The Texas Tribune -
Rural housing programs serve Texas’ elderly and disabled. This federal bill could make the process easier.
Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett introduced House Bill 7412 to fix administrative issues that have created hurdles for some in rural communities. Full Story
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![Homes under construction in a future neighborhood Wednesday, April. 26, 2023, near Wolfforth in Lubbock County.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Amid high rents, eviction filings in major Texas cities soar above pre-pandemic levels
Legal aid groups and housing advocates say there simply aren’t enough lawyers to keep up with the sheer volume of eviction filings. Full Story
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![A writ of possession is taped to the door of an apartment at the Life at Jackson Square apartments on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Houston, TX.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Texans face a bigger burden than ever to pay rent, study finds
More than half of the state’s 4.2 million renters spend at least 30% of their income on rent and utilities, according to a Harvard University report. Full Story
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![The Mueller neighborhood in East Austin on Oct. 7, 2023.]()
Credit: John Jordan/The Texas Tribune