Housing insecurity is one of the most pervasive and least visible crises in America today. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than 650,000 people experience homelessness on any given night in the United States. But that number represents only the most severe end of a much broader spectrum.
Millions more live in situations that are technically housed but deeply unstable. They double up with family or friends after losing a lease. They stay in motels by the week because they cannot come up with a deposit. They spend 50, 60, or even 70 percent of their income on rent, leaving almost nothing for food, healthcare, or transportation. Researchers call this condition housing insecure, and it affects an estimated 12 to 15 million households in the U.S.
Women and Children Bear a Disproportionate Burden
Among those experiencing housing insecurity, women and children are significantly over-represented. Single mothers, in particular, face a convergence of challenges that make stable housing difficult to maintain. Lower average wages, gaps in employment history due to caregiving, lack of access to affordable childcare, and the lasting economic effects of domestic violence all contribute to a vulnerability that the housing market is not designed to accommodate.
In Texas, the situation is especially acute. Despite its reputation for economic vitality, the state has some of the highest rates of housing cost burden in the nation, particularly in major metropolitan areas like Dallas and Houston. Dallas County has seen average rents increase by more than 30 percent since 2019, a pace that far outstrips wage growth for low-income workers.
What We Can Do
Solving the structural causes of housing insecurity requires policy changes, affordable housing investment, and wage growth. Those are long-term goals that require sustained advocacy. In the meantime, organizations like ours provide the immediate safety net that families need right now. If you or someone you know is facing housing insecurity in the Dallas area, please reach out. Help is available, and you do not have to figure this out alone.