Temporary housing website launched after Hurricane Harvey

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Association of Realtors just launched a website to help people find short-term housing. HAR said they know many families found themselves forced out of their homes and apartments after Hurricane Harvey.

Cindy Hamann with HAR said in the demand is sure to spike in the weeks ahead.

"You can do it week by week or up to 90 days. Then after the 90 days, if you want to put it back on the temporary housing site you can," said Hamann. "We have over 800,000 consumers who are already on the HAR site. "

Vivek Shah and Swapnil Agarwal own Karya Property Management and currently have 29 properties across the Houston area. They said at some places, there is now a wait list.

"We've seen a pretty dramatic uptick in applications," said Shah. "Pretty close to 200 new applications just in the last few days across our portfolio."

Eyewitness News reached out to ApartmentData.com. A spokesperson said they anticipate rental prices to climb in the Greater Houston area.

In an email, they said: "The overall occupancy rate for the area was 89.1 percent prior to the storm. About 70,000 units were available. Houston's over-built situation has been totally erased by Harvey. Rent growth over the last 12 months was minor and properties were offering concessions. Rental rates will likely spike just from the cessation of any specials.

"In 2001, when Tropical Storm Allison hit, rents rose 6.1 percent that year. In 2005, when we experienced the exodus from New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina as well as Hurricane Rita locally, rents rose 5.9 percent. In 2008, Hurricane Ike caused rent levels to rise by 5.7 percent."

Report a typo to the ABC13 staff