Texans face a bigger burden than ever to pay rent, study finds

(The Texas Tribune) – Texas renters are under more pressure from the state’s high housing costs than ever, according to a Harvard University study released Thursday. More than half of the state’s 4.2 million renter households spend too much of their income on keeping a roof over their heads and the lights on, a report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies showed. Some 51% of Texas renters – a record 2.1 million households – are now “cost-burdened,” meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. Of those, nearly 1.1 million are severely cost-burdened, meaning they put at least half of their income toward rent and utilities. Related Stories The rise in rents has left tenants with fewer dollars to spend on key household costs – like food, health care and transportation – or set aside for a down payment on a home of their own. The steep increase in housing costs has also fueled eviction filings and homelessness in the state’s major metro areas, housing advocates have said. Rents in Texas skyrocketed as the state’s population boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rent growth has since cooled as housing construction surged and higher mortgage rates...