Two million low
income Texans live in
bad housing, housing
they cannot afford, or
on the streets.

We know how to solve
this housing crisis -
if we have the
will . . .
This child bathes in a bucket in her family’s front yard. Although the family lives in the shadows of downtown Houston, their house is without running water.
This web site tells the story of the housing crisis faced by many low-income people in Texas and the work of grassroots community organizations to solve that housing crisis.

The web site is based on an exhibit which toured Texas as part of our effort to increase public awareness of the housing crisis. The web site also contains the results of seven community meetings held across the state to discuss the local housing crisis and come up with answers.

The low income housing crisis will only be solved when our state and local communities find the will to do something about it. The community groups described in this book have found that will.

Yet despite their heroic efforts we are losing ground in the fight to eliminate these terrible living conditions from Texas. Unfortunately, community groups lack the financial resources to implement their solutions on a large scale.
Deteriorated and boarded up, houses that once were affordable housing now stand vacant in many older Texas neighborhoods. Little new affordable housing is being built to replace these homes.
Photos: Patricia Moore
The number of families facing worst case housing needs is growing three times faster in
Texas than decent, affordable housing is being created. The work of community groups is a part of the solution. Government and profit motivated housing programs will also be required to meet our state’s growing low-income housing need.

The housing problem is solvable. These community organizations are working tirelessly to show us how. We must find the will to provide the public policies and financial support to implement efforts to solve the housing crisis.