Texans head to the polls Nov. 3, and the cost of living is at the top of a lot of voters' minds. For the people who build the state's homes, one part of that debate matters more than the rest: housing.
The Texas Tribune published a voter guide on Oct. 8 that compares what candidates in the biggest statewide races are promising on household costs, from groceries and gas to property taxes and homes. The housing section, by Joshua Fechter, starts with a number every builder in Texas will recognize as a problem.
The state needs about 260,000 more homes than it has to meet demand, according to an estimate by the housing advocacy group Up For Growth. The Tribune says that shortage has kept home prices and rents elevated.
Homeowners insurance is the other pressure point. The Tribune notes that premiums have risen as hurricanes, hailstorms and winter freezes have become more common and more severe, and that the cost of repairing a damaged home has grown with higher labor and construction material costs.
Senate and governor
In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Ken Paxton wants a $50,000 income-tax deduction for first-time homebuyers and for people moving to a new primary residence. He also wants to stop corporations from buying single-family homes and to cut "federal red tape that adds tens of thousands of dollars to a new house," though he did not say which rules.
Democrat James Talarico wants to expand the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, remove barriers to construction, encourage modular housing, ban Wall Street home purchases and offer down-payment help for first-time buyers. He has said he supports reducing insurance costs but has not given details.
In the governor's race, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has the most building-focused list. He wants to make it easier to build accessory dwelling units in the backyards of single-family homes, speed up building permits, allow pre-approved housing designs and punish cities that have flouted new state laws meant to allow apartments in more places. On insurance, he wants a $400 million roof fortification program to help harden Texans' homes.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa wants to stop private equity firms from buying single-family homes and send every Texas household a one-time $1,500 payment. The Tribune says she has not proposed a plan for homeowners insurance.
Lieutenant governor and the gaps
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick does not directly address housing costs or homeowners insurance in his campaign platform, the Tribune reports, though he has shepherded state housing reforms in the past.
Democrat Vikki Goodwin's campaign said she wants to "incentivize the construction of lower-priced homes and remove unnecessary barriers that drive up the cost of construction." She also wants to "strengthen oversight of insurance companies to ensure rates are fair and justified."
The guide also points out what's missing. No candidate has explicitly said they want to allow more "missing middle" housing, such as duplexes, fourplexes, rowhouses and smaller apartment buildings. The Tribune notes many cities make those homes illegal to build and allow only detached single-family homes on large lots or large apartment buildings. No candidate has proposed direct financial relief for renters.
And then there's the workforce. The Tribune says immigration raids have put a dent in the state's construction workforce, "making it harder to find the workers necessary to build the homes Texas needs." None of the candidates' housing plans in the guide deals with that.
Why it matters for Contractors
Several of these ideas would land right on a job site. Faster permits and pre-approved housing designs could shorten the time between a signed contract and a start date. Easier rules for backyard units would open up small jobs for remodelers and small builders. A $400 million roof fortification program would mean work for roofers across the state. An expanded Low-Income Housing Tax Credit would mean more affordable apartment projects to bid, and a push for modular housing could shift some work from the site to the factory.
Other plans, like tax deductions for buyers and limits on corporate home buying, aim at the demand side. They may help buyers, but they don't add a single worker or speed up a single inspection.
The biggest gap for contractors is labor. A 260,000-home shortage can't be closed without people to build those homes, and the Tribune found no candidate with a plan for that. It's a question worth asking the candidates before Nov. 3.