Multifamily has been fairly strong overall in Texas during the past couple of years due to job growth. But as the Lone Star State starts to feel effects from the economic recession, vacancies are on the rise, which will further be exacerbated by more units currently under construction and scheduled to come online this year and into 2010.

Statistics from O'Connor & Associates puts the number of units under construction statewide at 66,910. M|PF YieldStar in Carrollton, Tex., shows 47,712 units under construction, the difference being San Antonio figures were not included.

Additional numbers from O'Connor & Associates show statewide occupancy is in the upper 80s, with every city showing a decrease. Austin took the hardest hit with occupancy at 89.63 percent compared to a year ago, when the state's capital city was 93.25 percent. San Antonio also saw a drop in occupancy. Last year at this time, occupancy was 91.02 percent. Recent figures show occupancy at 88.87 percent.

M|PF YieldStar's numbers show similar trends. Occupancy in Austin was 89.2 percent, down close to 6 percent from the year before. Dallas' occupancy was slightly above 90 percent, down 3 percent from the same time the year before. Houston's occupancy, also slightly above 90 percent, was down 2 percent from early 2008.