The Houston Independent School District announced a large drop in student enrollment this year, as did most major cities, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Denver. While many blue states are just losing population entirely, even some red state cities, such as Houston, are losing children to surrounding suburbs. If cities are going to survive financially, they can’t just become playgrounds for the young and the rich. They need to become places where families with children can grow and thrive. And cities have tremendous power to change their policies to make this happen.

The family exodus is not mysterious. Parents are leaving because housing is too expensive, public disorder makes daily life family unfriendly, and public schools do not offer a safe environment where children can learn. Families are not seeking perfection. They are asking for normalcy: attainable housing, safe streets, and functioning schools.