Houston Housing Authority

What Houston Housing Authority does

Houston Housing Authority, now operating as Housing Alliance HTX, is a public housing authority established in 1938 and headquartered at 2640 Fountain View Dr. in Houston, Texas. As a government entity under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the organization administers two core federally subsidized housing programs: a Public Housing Program providing directly operated affordable rental units, and a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program that subsidizes tenant-based rental assistance in the private market. These programs serve low-income families, seniors, and individuals across the greater Houston area, with eligibility and rent determined by a sliding scale set at approximately 30% of adjusted household income.

The organization's technology footprint is centered on the Rent Cafe tenant portal (myportal-housingforhouston.securecafe.com), which enables residents to pay rent, manage accounts, and check waitlist status, supplemented by a public website and standard social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) for outreach. Resident services are extended through community programs including the YouthBuild construction-skills and education initiative, the Carmen V. Orta Scholarship, a Resident Council, and new property developments such as New Hope Housing Berry in the Greater Northside. Separate Public Facility Corporation and Redevelopment Corporation entities (Lakeside Place PFC, Victory Street PFC, APV Redevelopment Corporation) support real estate acquisition and development activities.

HHA is governed by a Board of Commissioners and operates with 101–250 employees. Its revenue model is two-fold: (1) federal HUD operating and capital subsidies forming the primary funding base, and (2) tenant rental income on a monthly recurring basis, calibrated to household income. Applications are accepted through periodic open-enrollment waitlist windows (e.g., the June 22–July 6 public housing waitlist cycle) with lottery-based selection. The organization is not privately held or invested; it functions as a public agency without equity-style ownership or venture capital backing.

Name

Houston Housing Authority

Legal name

Houston Housing Authority

Website

https://housingforhouston.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Houston Housing Authority (operating as Housing Alliance HTX) is a public housing authority in Houston, Texas, administering federal public housing and Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) programs for low-income families, seniors, and individuals. It is funded primarily by HUD and operates the Rent Cafe tenant portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Housing Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

State & Local Housing Finance Agencies (HFAs) (FSALAKAA), Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF), Fair Housing, Compliance & Housing Program Oversight (FSALAKAN)

Keywords

• Public housing programs
• Housing choice vouchers
• Affordable rental housing
• Government housing assistance
• Low-income housing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Housing Subsidies: Primary funding from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for public housing operations, Section 8 vouchers, and housing assistance programs.
2. Tenant Rental Income: Rental payments from public housing residents, calculated on a sliding scale based on household income (typically 30% of adjusted gross income).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Housing Alliance HTX (formerly Houston Housing Authority) provides federally subsidized affordable rental housing to low-income families, seniors, and individuals in the Houston metropolitan area. Its core offerings include directly operated Public Housing units and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) tenant-based rental assistance, supplemented by a digital tenant portal (Rent Cafe) and community support programs.

Product overview

Housing Alliance HTX (formerly Houston Housing Authority) operates as a government housing agency providing affordable housing programs to families, seniors, and individuals in Houston. The organization offers a unified portfolio of housing services centered on two core products: Public Housing (directly operated affordable rental units) and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (tenant-based rental assistance). Supporting these core offerings are resident-facing digital services including the Rent Cafe online portal for account management and waitlist access, community enrichment programs such as the YouthBuild program and Carmen V. Orta Scholarship, and property development initiatives like New Hope Housing Berry. The portfolio functions as an integrated housing ecosystem designed to create pathways toward housing stability and independence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Housing Program Affordable rental housing program providing units to eligible low-income families, seniors, and individuals through the Housing Alliance HTX public housing waitlist, with rent calculated on an income-based sliding scale.
• Housing Choice Voucher Program Tenant-based rental assistance program (Section 8) allowing participants to choose their own housing while receiving federal subsidy payments to help cover rent from private landlords.
• Resident Portal (Rent Cafe) Online portal enabling Housing Alliance HTX residents to access housing services, check waitlist status, pay rent, and manage their accounts digitally.
• YouthBuild Program Community program in partnership with YouthBuild that empowers young adults through education, job training, leadership development, and construction skills development.
• Carmen V. Orta Scholarship Educational scholarship program supporting students within the Housing Alliance HTX community.
• New Hope Housing Berry Affordable housing development in Houston's Greater Northside providing stable housing for families and individuals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Housing Alliance HTX provides housing assistance and support services to Houston-area residents through public housing and voucher programs

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• YouthBuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing Alliance HTX partners with YouthBuild, a community program that empowers young adults through education, job training, and leadership development. The partnership provides youth housing support and career pathways for young adults in Houston communities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development: Public housing authority serving Miami-Dade County with HUD-funded public housing and Section 8 voucher programs functionally identical to those operated by HHA.
• New York City Housing Authority: The largest public housing authority in the U.S., operating both public housing units and Section 8 vouchers in New York City under the same HUD oversight model as Houston Housing Authority.
• Philadelphia Housing Authority: Public housing authority serving Philadelphia under HUD oversight with public housing developments and Housing Choice Voucher administration comparable to HHA's portfolio.
• Atlanta Housing Authority: Municipal public housing authority administering HUD-funded public housing and vouchers in Atlanta with a comparable program structure and tenant population to HHA.
• Chicago Housing Authority: Municipal public housing authority administering HUD-funded public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers in Chicago, with a comparable dual-program structure to HHA.
• San Antonio Housing Authority: Public housing authority serving San Antonio with public housing units, Housing Choice Vouchers, and resident services under HUD oversight — closely analogous to HHA in scope and governance.
• Detroit Housing Commission: Public housing agency for the City of Detroit operating public housing units and Housing Choice Vouchers under HUD oversight — structurally analogous to HHA.
• Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles: Los Angeles's local public housing authority providing Section 8 vouchers and public housing units to low-income residents, structurally identical to HHA's program model.
• Denver Housing Authority: Local public housing authority administering federal HUD housing programs in Denver, providing a directly comparable peer for HHA's program mix and operational model.
• Dallas Housing Authority: Texas-based public housing authority directly comparable to HHA, administering public housing and Section 8 vouchers in another large Texas metro under the same federal HUD framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/housingforhouston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houston-housing-authority
• Instagraminstagram.com/housingalliancehtx
• Xx.com/Housing4Houston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Houston Housing Authority