As the number of renters in the Lake Houston area continues to trend upward, a recent study highlighted portions of northeast Harris County as growing areas of concern for eviction filings.
The Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s 2026 State of Housing report showed areas such as Humble, Atascocita and Lake Houston are experiencing high rates of eviction filings. Local agencies say growing affordability issues and the ease of filing evictions are contributing to the increase.
“We are seeing higher evictions in certain areas around the Lake Houston area,” said Millie Garrison, executive director of local nonprofit Humble Area Assistance Ministries. “We are helping about 100 families a day in many different ways to help them keep their basic needs met.”
While the study highlights high rates of eviction notices being filed, it concedes that actual evictions are difficult to track. According to the report, serial filings—or landlords filing eviction notices repeatedly on a single household in order to collect back rent—can occur.
The overview
The annual housing study, released June 16, is compiled by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, which tracks local trends in housing and demographics.
The 2026 study coincided with the launch of a public dashboard in conjunction with the city of Houston and Harris County housing authorities that provided counts for a variety of subsidized housing and additional affordability data.
“Rent and home costs may not be skyrocketing, but the signs of stress for homeowners and renters become evident when you look at other indicators like insurance costs, cost burden rate and evictions,” said Steve Sherman, a research scientist for the Kinder Institute.
According to the data, the average cost of rent across the Lake Houston area was roughly $1,600 per month, nearly $200 more than the Harris County average of $1,401. Rent in the Kingwood area represented the highest rate in the Lake Houston area, rising to roughly $2,000 per month.
Garrison said higher prices for everything from food to gas and rent are among the main drivers of the rise in eviction rates.
According to the data, the following represents the average monthly rental costs in the Lake Houston area in 2025:
Kingwood: $1,993
Atascocita: $1,763
Aldine Northeast: $1,619
Lake Houston: $1,490
Humble South: $1,408
Humble: $1,391.50
IAH: $1,192
Why it matters
Sherman said the term "cost-burdened" is used to define renters who spend 30% of gross monthly income on rent, with those who spend 50% or more on rent defined as “severely” cost-burdened. The data now shows that the majority of renters are cost-burdened.
“This is a new threshold,” Sherman said. “We’ve crossed the Rubicon here. We haven’t had a majority of cost-burdened renters in those geographies before.”
In the Lake Houston area, a large number of renters are not only above the 30% cost-burdened threshold but also at the 50% severely cost-burdened level. Only around 27% of renters in all of the study areas reported not being cost-burdened.
Zooming out
An additional factor leading to a rise in eviction notices being filed has been the growth of rental units in general, Sherman said.
“Houston is a renter city,” Sherman said. “About 60% of Houston households are renters. … New multi-family housing growth is largest in the outermost parts of the county and in the innermost parts.”
According to the housing data, the number of rental units in the Lake Houston area increased everywhere except for the Humble South and Aldine Northeast areas from 2019-2024:
Kingwood: +46.1%
Atascocita: +15%
Aldine Northeast: -8.2%
Lake Houston: +55%
Humble South: -17.9%
Humble: +1.6%
IAH: +0.4%
“Houston has more multifamily housing units, which are disproportionately renter-occupied, than single-family homes, of which only about 75% are owner-occupied,” Sherman said.
Out of roughly 2,070 respondents in a 2026 survey conducted by Entrata Property Management, only 20% of renters said they were saving to purchase a home.
“Our survey reveals that renters are still prioritizing saving by making small daily financial trade-offs,” Entrata Industry Principal Virginia Love said. “They’re just putting their savings toward more immediate priorities like financial security, rather than focusing solely on buying a home.”
Also of note
Garrison said Humble Area Assistance Ministries has several programs aimed at helping residents facing eviction or preventing them from receiving an eviction notice.
“It is much easier to help keep people housed versus getting them rehoused,” Garrison said. “Our programs vary on who qualifies, depending on the program. No two programs have the same rules.”
The support services offered by HAAM include its Homelessness Prevention Program, which provides community referrals, limited financial assistance and case management, according to the nonprofit’s website.
Additionally, the nonprofit offers assistance through its Unsheltered Program, which provides access to an outdoor shower facility, sack lunches, limited financial assistance, employment assistance, vital record assistance, community referrals and case management.
What you need to know
In addition to HAAM, there are several options available for residents either already working through the eviction process or on the verge of being served an eviction notice.
A multi-program social services nonprofit serving northeast Harris County and east Montgomery County.
1302 First St. E., Humble
281-446-3663
