Single‐family rentals as a pathway for access to high‐performing public schools

Abstract Using a unique data set of linked student‐housing‐unit records from North Carolina and a fixed effects research design, we document an association between increases in the supply of single‐family rental units (SFRs) and the likelihood that economically disadvantaged children attend higher performing schools. Drawing on exogenous variation in the allocation of SFRs across neighborhoods, we find that children in renter households were more likely to experience 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 United States.