Out of Order: Houston's Dangerous Apartment Epidemic

Abstract

Houston is a city of renters, with more than 420,000 rental housing units and the third highest number of occupied apartments in the country. Many of these apartments, however, are unsafe and deteriorating. Following decades of weak building standards and feeble code enforcement, Houston is now in the midst of a dangerous apartment epidemic. The report explores the roots of the epidemic, investigates issues with the city’s existing apartment safety programs, and recommends strategies to improve the city’s programs and improve tenants’ housing conditions.