Single-Family Rentals as a Pathway for Access to High-Performing Public Schools

Abstract

Using a unique dataset of linked student-housing-unit records from North Carolina and a fixed effects research design, we show that an increase in the supply of single-family rental units (SFRs) provides a pathway for economically disadvantaged children to attend higher-performing schools. Exploiting the exogenous variation in the allocation of SFRs across neighborhoods, we find that children in renter households realized improvements in school quality when relocating to areas with an ample supply of SFRs zoned for high-performing schools. Using a shift-share identification strategy with school-level data, we also provide evidence supporting the generalizability of our results to other markets throughout the U.S.

Keywords: Housing, Schools, Household Sorting, Achievement

JEL Classification: H75, I21, I24, J13, R23, R38