Isn’t rent-to-own much more likely to create a different mindset than that of people being in rental housing? Or are you saying the neighborhood would destroy the homes?
The mindset of people who have never had to pay to maintain a house due to renting, never knowing anyone who has done anything but rent, is hard on a house. You see this to lesser extent in any entry level neighborhood with new homeowners, the maintenance on many of them is spotty and neglected. This effect is greatly magnified when the parties “buying” the house are not particularly responsible, not really all that interested in being a homeowner other than somebody told them they’d have more money, and not attuned to paying for home maintenance at all.