Villages of Woodland Springs Homeowners Association

Neighborhood Overcrowding and Consequences

Defining overcrowding

In 2006, HUD contracted with Econometrica, Inc and ICF International with the use of AHS and commissioned a study of overcrowding to define overcrowding and it consequences of overcrowding. The PPR measure is used, and PHA’s try to keep two or fewer per bedroom. Crowded housing is defined by housing authorities and US Census Bureau as any home with more than one person per room, excluding bathrooms, kitchens, hallways and porches. Severe overcrowding is defined as households with greater than 1.51 persons per room. Zoning codes and regulations limit how many unrelated people may share the same space, how many square feet there must be per person, and what rooms may be used as sleeping quarters.

Negative Effects

Research shows crowded housing lowers the quality of life and negatively impacts surrounding communities. As more residents move into a neighborhood, school overcrowding increases, traffic congestion and parking problems worsen, more waste is generated, and residents worry that property values will decrease. Having more people than intended living in single-family homes also strains public services and public safety. Crowded housing is associated with the transmission of tuberculosis and respiratory infections, as well as increased risk of injury and death from fire hazards. Concerned about overcrowding, fire departments performed a test burn on a vacant three-bedroom, two-story home, crammed with clothes and furniture to simulate overcrowded conditions. They found the fire spread significantly faster than rooms filled with “normal fire load.” Within two minutes, everything in the house exploded into flames, blocking the main exit out of the home. Traffic congestion, substandard housing and inadequate streets compound the problem. The scientific community increasingly agrees the high population density (overcrowding) is the MOST important independent variable causing degeneration of the physical environment and quality of life. (CW) Overcrowding exacerbates the negative effects of congestion. The single family home by house age, size, regional market, changes in quality of the neighborhood, overcrowding, maintenance and aesthetic characteristics of the neighborhood as a whole, leaves a difference in the mean apprecation rate of NEGATIVE (-7) percent. Statistics show intensive use and overcrowding take a toll on apprecation. The number of occupants per square foot of a home is NEGATIVELY correlated to the entire neighborhoods value. (NW)

Community Response

Residents are complaining to city officials about residential overcrowding, reporting people living in garages, sheds, closets, and laundry rooms. The Mayor’s Task Force found that overcrowded housing is compounding crime problems, traffic and parking congestion, school overcrowding, displacement of longtime residents, and overloaded city services. As residents’ complaints about crowded housing’s impact on traffic, parking, trash, and property values decrease, communities are struggling for effective responses. Many local governments have implemented or stepped up enforcement of limits on the number of unrelated people living in single-family homes; rewriting housing ordinances; banning homeowners from turning their lawn into parking lots; and tightening school attendance requirements for children who live with relatives during the week.

This growing problem effects everyone. Report overcrowding to city officials, HUD and Texas Department of Housing. Reporting overcrowding saves lives.

Links

Immigration and Crowded Housing
Measuring Overcrowding in Housing
US Census Bureau
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
2007 State of Texas Low Income Housing Plan and Annual Report
(CHAS) data