A friend in Texas tells me there is no zoning there and they’ve been fine with it. There are, however, disposable subdivisions where most to almost all of the initial buyers move on to new ones after 10-15 years.
Who would risk 30 years of mortgage payments, or the loss of value in 10/15 years, if a nice single-family area (where everyone is vested in the long-term viability of the area) deteriorates into a collection of non-owners passing through? Low-income people inserted into housing by the government, etc. - nobody would buy a home if that outcome is a possibility.