Overcrowding remains high in parts of Houston, report shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- More Houston families are trying to make less space go further.

The Kinder Institute's 2026 State of Housing Report found that in Harris County there's a high rate of people living in overcrowded homes.

"A lot of people in a home can increase the odds of more negative things happening for health, fire, and safety outcomes," Dr. Stephen Sherman, Kinder Institute Research Scientist, said.

Sherman said the U.S. Census defines overcrowding as having more than one person per room in a home, which includes living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms.

A couple sharing a one-bedroom apartment wouldn't be considered overcrowded, but a family of four in that same space would be.

"Countywide and citywide, there's around 6% or 7% of households that are overcrowded," Sherman said.

The report found that overcrowding numbers are down from 2023, but said, "rates of overcrowding are uneven across the county."

Some neighborhoods have more than 5 times the county's overcrowding rate.

The following are the top five neighborhoods with high overcrowding rates, according to the report:

• Gulfton 33%
• Westwood 32.4%
• Braeburn 26.8%
• Sharpstown 22.9%
• Greenspoint 16.7%

Those rates are nearly ten times the national average.

"I know that in those neighborhoods there are a lot of large multifamily housing complexes that are actually relatively affordable but still not very big," Sherman said.

Sherman said this can be a symptom of a broader affordability crisis, in which people end up sharing spaces out of financial necessity. But, he pointed out other possible factors as well.

"There could also be cultural factors that multigenerational households are more common among people, perhaps outside the United States and immigrated here," Sherman said.

However, more people in a home can come at a cost.

"Overcrowded housing is associated with more rapid spread of infectious disease, mold, mental health issues, and increased danger during fire or some sort of emergency events," Sherman said.

Researchers said one way to tackle this is to increase affordable housing options.

"We just want people to be safe and be in safe housing that's affordable and not dangerous," Sherman said.