At the Winter Olympics, Houben earned his best finish prior to World War II of fifth in the four-man event at the 1936 Winter Olympics. After the war, he earned two medals at the 1947 FIBT World Championships in St. Moritz with a silver in the four-man and a bronze in the two-man event. He won his only Olympic medal in the four-man event the following year, also in St. Moritz.