Born at Stockton-on-Tees, Houchen grew up in Ingleby Barwick[2] and attended Conyers' School in Yarm before going up to read law at Northumbria University.

[11] Nominated as a Life Peer in Boris Johnson's resignation honours of June 2023,[12][13] on 12 July 2023, he was created Baron Houchen of High Leven, of Ingleby Barwick in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees.

Following his reelection, Houchen criticised prime minister Rishi Sunak, blaming him for infighting and chaos within the Conservative Party.

[28] Chaired by Houchen,[29] the STDC area covers approximately 4,500 acres of land to the south of the River Tees, in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, and includes the former SSI steelworks site as well as other industrial assets.

[31] In January 2019, Houchen announced that a deal had been reached to acquire 1,420 acres of land on the STDC site from Tata Steel Europe.

[33] Consequently, he was one of the figures responsible in 2021 for the controversial demolition of the landmark Dorman Long Tower despite the granting of a Grade II listing to the Brutalist building.

[34] He later accused the Historic England official who listed the structure of being a junior member of staff, who had acted without the permission of senior managers.

"[38] In 2023, Houchen was criticised after it emerged that a 90 per cent stake in the company that operates the vacant Redcar Steelworks site, teesworks, was transferred to two local developers, Chris Musgrave and Martin Corney, without any public tender process.