Medical Lodging in Texas — Patient Housing & Hospital Lodging Programs

Texas offers a wide range of patient lodging options. Free housing programs like the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge and Ronald McDonald House serve specific patient populations. Low-cost charity rooms ($25–50/night) are available through organizations like Halo House and Aishel House, and Ronald McDonald House Dallas charges families nothing at all. Hotels near major hospitals often offer negotiated medical rates; UT Southwestern’s 2026 list, for example, runs from $58 to $399 a night. For stays of 30 days or more, furnished apartments and extended-stay hotels provide the best value — especially when combined with the Texas hotel tax exemption, which saves 15%–17% depending on the city (17% in Houston and Austin, about 15% in Dallas).

Start by contacting your hospital's social work or patient services department — they maintain lists of partner hotels, free housing programs, and charity lodging. You can also search Joe's House (joeshouse.org) for medical-rate hotels near major Texas hospitals. For longer stays, ask about furnished apartments with 30-day leases that qualify for the Texas hotel tax exemption. Our city guides for Houston and Dallas list every option near major medical centers.

Yes. The American Cancer Society operates Hope Lodge locations that provide free rooms for adult cancer patients undergoing outpatient treatment. In Houston, Hope Lodge has 64 suites near the Texas Medical Center. Ronald McDonald House serves families of pediatric patients in both Houston and Dallas. Additional free programs include the Hospitality Apartments in Houston (46 units) and Dan's House of Hope for young adults ages 18–39. Most free programs require a social worker referral — apply as early as possible since waitlists are common.

Yes. Texas Tax Code Section 156.101 exempts hotel stays of 30 or more consecutive days at the same property from all state and local hotel occupancy taxes. In Houston, this totals approximately 17%. Give written notice at check-in and a 45-night stay at $100 a night pays no hotel tax, about $765 saved at Houston's 17%; without notice you pay tax on the first 30 nights and save only the last 15, about $255. It applies to hotels, extended-stay properties, and furnished apartments. If the property keeps charging tax once the exemption applies, cite the statute and ask to speak with a manager.

Houston leads by a significant margin thanks to the Texas Medical Center — the world's largest medical complex, with more than 60 member institutions on 1,345 acres. Houston has more free and low-cost patient housing programs than any other city in the state. Dallas is the second-largest hub, with UT Southwestern Medical Center (an NCI-designated cancer center), Baylor University Medical Center, Parkland Hospital, and Children's Medical Center Dallas. San Antonio and Austin are growing medical destinations but have fewer dedicated patient lodging programs.