Houston Leads Nation In Evictions As Rent Relief Dwindles: Report

HOUSTON, TX — Houston leads the nation in eviction filings, according to the latest data compiled by Eviction Lab, and relief is out of reach for many that need it as funds for rental assistance in Harris County are dwindling.

Houston landlords filed 2,040 evictions in the week ending Jan. 15, according to Eviction Lab, far outpacing the next closest city, Dallas, which had 845.

The influx of eviction filings continues a trend of rising evictions in Houston since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's eviction moratorium was lifted in August.

As evictions rise, rent relief in the Houston area is running out. The Houston-Harris County Emergency Rental Assistance Program is now only accepting applications from renters with active eviction cases, according to the program's website. The program started with $283 million but has dwindled to $7.6 million as of this week, though it is expecting to receive an additional $13 million, according to a report from the Texas Tribune.

Texas has three cities among the top five in eviction filings in the last week among cities tracked by Eviction Lab, with Fort Worth fourth on that list with 797 evictions.

Five Texas counties — Jefferson, Brazoria, Hays, El Paso and Nueces — had rental assistance funds taken back by the U.S. Treasury Department because they weren't spent quickly enough and can be used in other parts of the state and country, according to the Texas Tribune report.