New Report Highlights a Severe Shortage of Affordable and Available Housing

March 21, 2025 | by Anna Orendain

Categories: Affordable Housing

Earlier this month, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) published the latest version of their annual GAP report, which highlights the ongoing struggles faced by extremely-low income renters (those that earn 30 percent or below the area median income). 

Taking a Look at Texas

The report breaks down its findings by state. Below are key points from the data specific to Texas. 

• There are currently only 25 affordable and available units for extremely low-income families per every 100 households. In total, Texas has a shortage of 665,967 affordable units for households earning at or below 30% area median income.
• San Antonio maintains the greatest number of affordable, available units amongst Texas' large metropolitan areas with 26 units available for every 100 extremely low-income households. Austin has 16, Houston has 16, and Dallas-Fort Worth has 14, one of the lowest numbers in the entire country.
• In the state of Texas, 91% of extremely low-income households are cost burdened. This means that they pay more than 30% of their income towards housing costs. 
• Similarly, 81% of extremely low-income households in Texas are severely cost burdened, paying more than 50% of their income on housing.
• Very low-income renters (households that earn at or below 50% area median income) also face a tough housing market, with a housing deficit of 894,858 units that would be affordable enough for these households. This means there are only 41 available and affordable units for every 100 of these households across the state.
•  Among the major metropolitan areas, San Antonio has 41 affordable units available for every 100 very low-income households. Houston has 37, Austin has 33, and Dallas-Fort Worth has 32.

Data for each individual state can be found here.

The Rental Housing Gap on a National Level

On a national level, the report provides the following data.

• There's a staggering, nation-wide shortage of 7.1 million rental homes that are affordable and available to the nation's extremely low-income renters.
• Nationally, there are just 35 affordable and available units per 100 extremely low-income renter households.
• Extremely low-income renters continue to face a shortage of affordable rental homes in every state and every metropolitan area across the U.S.
• 87% of extremely low-income renters are cost burdened (paying more than 30% of their income towards housing) and 75% of them are severely cost burdened (paying more than 50% of their income towards housing).

HOW WE HELP EXTREMELY AND VERY Low-Income Households

We provide training and capacity building to supportive housing developers that place a priority on housing extremely low-income Texans. Since 2020, we've partnered with the Corporation for Supportive Housing to administer the Texas Supportive Housing Institute, which provides training and technical assistance to development teams interested in building and operating supportive housing in their communities. Since its inception, we've trained fourteen development teams across the state that are working to bring hundreds of new supportive housing units online.

Moreover, TSAHC recently issued bonds to support the development of Burleson Studios and Cairn Point Montopolis. The former, a Foundation Communities development, will be 104 units for very low and extremely low-income households while the latter is a 150 unit senior community being developed by Family Eldercare with 64 units set aside as supportive housing. 

We also provide grants to nonprofits to assist very low-income households. Our Texas Foundations Fund program provides grants to nonprofits to assist very low-income households. To date, we have invested more than $10.3 million in grant funding for home repairs and supportive housing services. 

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On the House blog posts are meant to provide general information on various housing-related issues, research and programs. We are not liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided by blog sources. Furthermore, this blog is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.