Renting Single-Family Homes Provides Opportunity for Families

Rental homes open the door to high-opportunity neighborhoods for families who can't afford to buy.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 9:03am

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For families who cannot afford to buy homes, renting single-family houses in the suburbs has become one of the few viable options to access neighborhoods with strong schools, safe streets, and economic opportunity. However, local zoning laws that restrict apartment development and limit rental housing in high-opportunity areas make it difficult for lower-income families to find stable, affordable housing in these communities.

Why it matters

Stable housing in safe, well-resourced communities is linked to healthier child development and stronger educational outcomes. But many suburbs continue to limit rental housing through zoning laws, effectively excluding lower-income families and reinforcing segregation. Reforming these local land use policies is crucial to providing more families access to high-opportunity neighborhoods.

The details

When Patricia McGee moved her four children from an apartment in Dallas to a single-family rental home in Rockwall, Texas, the change was immediate - the neighborhood was peaceful and quiet, and her children's new school provided laptops and homework help that was not available before. However, for many families like McGee's who rely on the rental market or federal housing assistance, accessing neighborhoods with strong schools, safe streets, and economic opportunity is a challenge due to restrictive zoning laws that limit what can be built and who can live in certain areas.

  • In 2026, the article was published on March 27.

The players

Patricia McGee

A mother of four who moved her family from an apartment in Dallas to a single-family rental home in Rockwall, Texas, where they experienced a safer, more peaceful neighborhood and better educational resources for her children.

Jasmine Halton

A mother in Dallas who hoped to use a housing voucher to rent a single-family home in the nearby suburb of Garland, but found that dream elusive due to the lack of rental housing options in many high-opportunity suburbs.

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What they’re saying

“It's peaceful, quiet. You don't hear gunshots.”

— Patricia McGee

“Something better for the children, maybe a backyard for them to run in.”

— Jasmine Halton

What’s next

Local governments could reform restrictive zoning laws that limit rental housing options in high-opportunity neighborhoods, in order to provide more families access to stable, affordable housing in communities with strong schools and economic opportunities.

The takeaway

Renting single-family homes has become one of the few practical ways for lower- and moderate-income families to access high-opportunity suburbs, but local land use policies that restrict rental housing development continue to shut out these families and reinforce segregation, highlighting the need for zoning reform to create more inclusive communities.