Photo: Patricia Moore
“Worst Case Housing Needs” are defined by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development as families who pay more than one-half of their income on housing or live in severely inadequate housing.
Within walking distance of downtown Houston, these deteriorating apartments have served as low rent housing for decades. Like many other low income housing units they may soon be torn down to make way for other uses.
Texas worst case housing needs are at an all-time high:
The number of Texans with worst-case housing needs has reached an all time high of more than 650,000 households. The growth in the number of these households reflects the fact that poor families, particularly those with children, are getting poorer.
Poorest Texas families have worst case housing needs
Over 42% of Texas families with worst-case housing needs have incomes less than 30% of the area median family income. That is a yearly income of less than $14,688 for a family of three living in Dallas.

Working poor renters are especially are hard hit
Over two-thirds of working poor renters live in worst-case housing.

Elderly Texans often have worst case housing needs
There are over 110,000 low-income elderly households in Texas that face worst-case housing situations. These households have little prospect of improving their incomes to be better able to afford decent housing.

Many disabled Texans have worst case needs
Forty percent of very low-income households with a worst-case housing situation live with an adult family member with a disability.

Hispanic worst case housing needs are growing
Worst case housing needs have more than doubled among Hispanics since 1978.
Photo: Marla Valesquez
Woman and child in front of their Abilene home which floods after heavy rains.