[1][2] Van Houwelingen applied at the Utrecht University in June 1962 majoring in Chemistry and obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in July 1964.

Van Houwelingen became a Member of the House of Representatives after the resignation of Barend Biesheuvel, taking office on 7 March 1973.

After the election of 1977 the Christian Democratic Appeal and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) formed the Cabinet Van Agt-Wiegel, Van Houwelingen and several Christian Democratic Appeal Members of the House of Representatives were critical on the coalition agreement and formed an informal caucus in their own parliamentary group called the CDA-loyalists [nl] that followed the cabinet critically throughout the entire period.

After the election of 1986 Van Houwelingen again returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 3 June 1986.

In December 1993 Van Houwelingen announced that he wouldn't not stand for the election of 1994 and continued to serve until the end of the parliamentary term on 17 May 1994.