The chart above shows the distribution of housing assistance in Texas.
About 13% of the eligible low-income households (income < 50% AMFI) in Texas receive federal housing assistance while 87% of low-income families who are eligible do not receive any form of help.
The State of Texas allocates housing subsidies through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
According to TDHCA’s State Low Income Housing Plan, 23,435 Texas households with incomes less than 80% of the median income received assistance in 2004 (see chart above). Of these households, 84% had incomes between 31% and 60% of the area median while only 11% had incomes below 30% of the median.
A principal reason for this imbalance is found in the resources that TDHCA has at its disposal (see chart below).
The State of Texas allocates only about $3 million per year from state funds for housing and relies overwhelmingly on federal dollars to provide housing assistance.
A majority of the funds available come from bonds and housing tax credits. Bonds and tax credits provide a relatively shallow level of subsidy, making it difficult to use these type of funds to aid families at the lowest income levels who need deep housing subsidies.
Low income hurricane evacuees will need long term rent assistance to afford housing in Texas.