But it isn't only the office and industrial space that is experiencing an increase in demand. Corporate relocation properties and multifamily properties are seeing a huge influx, as people move here to rebuild their businesses and need places to stay.

Much like on the office side, owners of multifamily properties are offering month-to-month rentals as opposed to year-long leases in an attempt to try to get people over the short-term need. "The National Multifamily Housing Association has issued a memo asking landlords and owners not to charge people premiums on rentals for going month to month," says Maria Tiratsuyan, senior market analyst with O'Connor & Associates in Houston.

Different from the commercial side, however, is the possibility of a longer-term impact on apartment occupancy rates in Houston. "It'll especially have an impact on the class B and C buildings," Tiratsuyan predicts. "There has been quite a bit of vacancy in that inventory. And those are properties that many of the refugees are likely to go to because the rents are lower."

Will Balthrope, senior director of multihousing for Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc., sees similar demand among corporate relocation housing, pointing to Signature Palms, a variable lease apartment community managed by a C&W client, as an example.

"A few days ago, a corporate relocation company came and leased every unit we had," he says. "We were at 80% occupied as it was and they leased 43 units for six months at market rate. It'll be my guess that they won't pull out in six months, either."

Nor is Signature Palms the sole exception, Balthrope continues. "I've been hearing that a lot of other properties like Signature Palms are going as quickly," he says. "The numbers have been in the thousands."

It's hard to tell, however, what will come about in the long term. "It's a wait-and-see mode. No one is really certain what will occur," Ferruzzo says.

Still for the time being, the Houston community is lending a hand, whether the need is short-term industrial or long-term corporate relocation. "There's the sense around here that no one wants to take advantage of a situation," Clarke says. "But everyone is responding to the market and is doing what they can to at least let people know what options they have."